


Love Is A Dream For Two Lives To Share

by Titti



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Het Relationship, Canon couples, F/M, M/M, Malfoy Family, Non-Explicit Het Relationships, Polyamory, Suicide Attempt, Weasley Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-05 19:15:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 70,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12800547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: The story of how James and Draco went from mere acquaintances to a family with appearances from the Malfoys, the Weasleys, and Draco's friends.





	Love Is A Dream For Two Lives To Share

**Author's Note:**

> Created for NaNoWriMo 2017.

**Prologue  
** 3 August, 2021  
Prompt 1: Beginnings 

Draco was in his study, researching a Dark spell that hadn't been seen in decades. His research into the Dark Arts had started after the trials as a way to pass the time when few people were willing to speak to him. It was something he enjoyed to do. With time, it had turned into something more. He had become an expert on the subject and the Ministry and Gringotts routinely used his services, even if his affiliation with Gringotts had diminished after Astoria's death.

He charged the Ministry a ridiculous amount of money, more so if the request came from the Auror Division, not because the cases were more difficult or because he needed the money, but because he still enjoyed watching Weasley's face explode when he quoted his price. After the war, he'd invested the Malfoy money wisely, diversified into different fields and generations of Malfoys could live without working, but charging the Ministry made people respect him more and with time, he had become the most prominent expert on the Dark Arts in all of Britain.

Too bad he was failing miserably at the moment!

He slammed the book shut when he noticed a figure standing near the door. "James? Is that you?" The oldest Potter wasn't usually here, but today he had shown up with Albus for no apparent reason considering the weird look on Scorpius' face when his friend had arrived. "Are you looking for Albus? I believe they mentioned ice cream."

James came forward. "I know where they went. Your mother Flooed with them to Diagon Alley. I… I told them I was going home, but-" He stopped in front of Draco's desk, looking very unsure of himself. In the years that Scorpius had been around the Potters, Draco had never seen this young man look any less than the cocky Gryffindor he was. "Albus says that he talks to you when he can't talk to Dad."

Potter was going to kill him for this, Draco was sure, even if he didn't know what _this_ actually was. "Have a seat, James," Draco said gently, "and you can tell me what's bothering you."

James pulled the chair and sat down, elbows on his knees and eyes fixed somewhere on the floor. "I read about… I mean… you… the Prophet said-"

"James, you'll have to pretend that I don't know what we're discussing and try to explain it to me." Draco kept his tone soft, unlike anything he'd have used with any Gryffindor he'd met in school. His mother always teased him that becoming a father had made him 'nice'. He objected to the label, but he couldn't turn his back on a teenager, even when he was James Sirius Potter.

He got up and went around his desk, taking the seat next to the young man. "It's all right. I promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me. Is that better?"

James looked up and nodded. "I read you're… you're gay."

Oh yes, Potter was definitely going to kill him if this was going where he thought he was.

"Bi. I like men and women. The Daily Prophet found it a lot more scandalous to say that I was gay, but it was wrong," Draco explained and then waited for more, but James was back to staring at the marble floor. "Do you think you might be gay? Is that why you're asking?"

"I think so."

The three words were a mere whisper, but Draco could understand what James was feeling. At least he'd been able to hide this side of himself for years. Astoria had known, but it'd been a theoretical knowledge since he'd been utterly and completely in love with her and had never looked at another person. After her death, he'd dated some men in secret, until a few months ago a picture had made it to the front page of the Daily Prophet, as if his occasional dates had any impact on the world at large.

Things wouldn't be so easy for James, not if he was gay and not when he was the son of the Chosen One. His face had been in magazines since birth when a mediwizard had sold a picture of James a few hours after his birth to Witch Weekly. Potter had not been happy that day.

"Do you like boys only? Or boys and girls?" 

James sighed. "Only boys. Is that bad?"

Draco shook his head. "Of course it's not bad. Some people might tell you that it is, but they are wrong. There's nothing wrong with whom you like."

"I like Teddy."

Bloody Hell, Potter was going to have kittens.

"James, you're still young and it's natural to like people you know, but Teddy is straight. And married. To your cousin. And she's pregnant." He stressed each point.

"I know!"

"Good. Then you know you can't say anything to him about this, right?"

James nodded, looking completely miserable.

Draco squeezed his shoulder. "I know this feels like the end of the world, but it's not. I promise you it will get better."

"How? I'm going back to Hogwarts and everyone is straight. Everyone expects me to date, and- My Mum is a Weasley. They finish school and they get married, it's what they all do."

Draco smiled. "I think your Uncle Charlie would object to that. You don't have to date girls and you certainly don't have to get married. This is your last year. Have fun, play Quidditch, decide what you want to do with your life. I assure you that you're not the only gay student in the school and maybe you won't find out who else is gay or maybe you will, but no matter how terrible it feels, in less than a year you'll be done with Hogwarts and then you can find people to date, boys that you like."

"How? The press is always on top of me. I can't even go to Diagon Alley without someone snapping a picture of me. How long before someone finds out?" James asked.

Draco sighed. "I honestly don't know. Hopefully you'll be able to have a few experiences, before you have to come out, but I would suggest telling your parents sooner rather than later. I know from experience what it's like to be forced to share that part of yourself with your parents because they are reading about it in a newspaper and it's not a nice feeling for anyone involved."

James's eyes went wide as he shook his head. "I can't tell them. I simply can't! Dad is already talking about grandchildren and when I join the Auror Division."

"And do you do everything your father wants you to?" Draco asked.

James shrugged. "He's Harry Potter. No one says no to him. Only Albus."

"I think Albus should learn to say yes once in a while and you should learn to say no. It's your life, James, and right now, I'm sure you think you'll be able to hide that you're gay forever, but you won't. It's much easier if you decide how and when to come out. Think about it, okay?"

James nodded. "Okay. But you won't say anything, right? Not to my parents or Scorpius?"

"Not a word to anyone. I promise." This was one promise that he intended to keep.

* * *

**Chapter One: Meeting Again  
** 19 May, 2023  
Prompt 10: Years 

A sense of déjà vu hit Draco as he looked up from his desk and he saw James standing by the entrance of his study. In the past four years, he'd seen the boy less and less, with Scorpius becoming able to Floo to the Potters and the Burrow without any help, but he'd seen his pictures splashed everywhere.

James had decided to follow in his father's footsteps and his entrance in the Auror Division had been covered with unabashed interested by reporters and the public alike. The Witch Weekly had named him Most Eligible Bachelor every year from the moment he turned seventeen. Quidditch Today had mourned the day that James had decided not to accept the many offers to play in the league. Throughout everything, James had kept smiling, giving interviews and dating witches.

Now that Draco had the real person in front of him, he took a good look. James looked nothing like his father. He was taller than Potter by a few inches. His shoulders were broad, and his muscles were well defined, in a way that only exercise could achieve. His hips were narrow. His hair cut was expensive and messy, but calculatedly so, something that seemed to be all the rage at the moment. Scorpius had explained how it took a good thirty minutes to look like you hadn't brushed your hair. Albus had answered that he achieved the look by washing it. James definitely didn't use his brother's approach. At the moment, he wore his Auror robe, but Draco was willing to bet anything that it'd been tailored, because most Aurors looked like they were wearing big bags, while James' robe highlighted his perfect figure.

"Like what you see?" James said with a grin.

"Another headache? Hardly," Draco answered with a smug expression.

James snorted. "You don't know that."

"You're wearing your official robe and you're carrying one of those nifty boxes that Aurors use to transport Dark objects. I know it's a headache. One that might make me richer, but still a headache." He got up and moved some of the books on his desk. "Congratulations on ending your second year, by the way. Getting ready for your final one?"

James got closer and put the box on the desk. "Thanks, but even finishing the programme isn't enough if I don't get final approval and all that rubbish"

Draco huffed. "I'm sure both the Head of the Division and the Head of the training program will be happy to sign off on your admission to the ranks."

"Dad and Uncle Ron have had those papers ready since I joined," James said, laughing. "They are sure."

"Because everything comes easy to James," Draco answered, using words he'd heard Potter utter more than once.

"Something like that," James said, but there was a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Draco stared at James for a moment and then opened the box. He didn't reach inside, but gave a brief look before closing it again. "Tell your father that I'll send him an estimate of price and time forthwith."

"Forthwith? Seriously? You couldn't say soon, or as soon as I can, or tomorrow, or anything normal?"

"Forthwith is a perfectly good word," Draco answered.

"It's also not accurate since you're not sending it immediately." James grinned. "Yes, I know, it's shocking for a Gryffindor to know big words, but I know them and they don't scare me. You just like to intimidate the Aurors," he added, laughing. "No one else wanted to come here. I hear they are somewhat afraid of you."

"It's not my fault that all these brave Aurors aren't that brave," Draco answered. "You'll just have to be the brave one and bring things over."

"I think I can do that," James said. "I'll be going and I'll tell Dad that you'll get back to him as soon as possible."

* * *

**Chapter Two: Surprises and Confusion  
** 20 October, 2024  
Prompt 80: Why? 

"Why is it that you're the only Auror I ever see anymore?" Draco asked when the house elf let James into his study.

"I told you that they are afraid," James said with a grin.

"They didn't seem afraid before you were allowed to bring evidence over, and yet, you're the only one who comes here," Draco pointed out. 

"What can I say? I'm the brave one who will shield them from the dangerous Draco Malfoy." He closed the door, but instead of the desk, he went for the trolley and poured two glasses of firewhiskey like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Making ourselves at home?" Draco asked as he stood up.

"You'll end up offering anyway, then I'll say yes, you have to get up and pour it, but I just saved you all the bother. You're welcome, by the way," he said teasingly while he handed Draco one glass.

"You're becoming worse than your brother. I have two Potters feeling completely at home in my house now." Of course he hadn't done anything to stop it. He would have never interfered with Scorpius and Al's friendship and he found that he enjoyed talking to James. "Why are you here? Other than the firewhiskey? You seem to lack any box with any possible Dark object inside it."

James blushed as he smiled sheepishly. "You caught on. Took you some time."

"Anyone who can see would catch that and I was being the polite Slytherin that I am and giving you enough rope to hang yourself with," Draco answered. 

James swallowed the firewhiskey before refilling it again. "Broke up with my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry," Draco said with all honesty.

"Don't be. It was a few weeks ago and it was bound to happen. He wanted to meet the family. The family wants to meet the future mother of my children. It wasn't going to happen if you know what I mean," James said with a sigh.

"Sooner or later, you will have to tell them. You can't keep doing this to yourself. This is what? The fifth, sixth boyfriend in a year? Worse than that, I'm the only one who knows about them. How can that lead to a decent relationship?" Draco asked.

"I can't tell anyone else. You know that. It's hard enough to find people like us-"

"Gay, bi, you can use the words, James. It's not some kind of hex you'll catch if you say the words aloud," Draco pointed out.

"Fine. It's hard to find other gay men without coming out. Then there aren't many willing to take an unbreakable oath before dating me." He went to the couch and sat down, knowing that Draco would join him. "And they are all so very boring. Half the time is spent talking about my family and the other half about me telling my family about them."

Draco put an arm around James, not surprised when James rested his head on Draco's shoulder. They had done this too many times in the past year that it was familiar now. It had started by chance with James coming to the manor for a case looking utterly miserable. Draco had simply asked 'how do you do' and like a good Gryffindor, James had answered honestly and with details, and possibly with a few tears that Draco had never brought up again. Since then, it had become a sort of ritual when he ended another relationship.

"Do you know the real problem?"

"Since it couldn't possibly be that you refuse to tell anyone that you're gay, please do enlighten me," Draco said smiling.

"That I'm not interested in them. I mean, I like the sex. I like that very much and most of the blokes I've dated are very fit and great in bed, but-" He shrugged. "Something is missing. We don't care about the same things and we barely have anything in common."

"And have you thought that perhaps you should date people with your same interests? I know that it's a very strange concept for you to understand," Draco teased.

James took another swig from his glass, savouring the alcohol this time, before leaning forward to put the glass on the coffee table. He turned slightly to look at Draco. "I have. I actually sat down and made a list of what's important to me."

"How very Ravenclaw of you," Draco answered.

"Nah, that's just having to deal with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Percy. They both love lists and order. They once had a bet on who could organize books faster in alphabetical order."

"Why?" Draco asked, although he really should know better than to try make sense of anything the Weasley family did. "More importantly, who won?"

James laughed. "Mum. She's the one that pushed them into it after a fight Al and I had. We started to cast spells and all of the books came flying from the shelves. She tried to make us fix them, but you know us. Every time we started, we ended up arguing and the mess got bigger. Mum got smart and she tricked them into making the bet. They fixed Dad's study in no time."

"Very sneaky. I approve of your mother's actions," Draco said.

"I knew you would. But enough about my family, the list-" 

There was something going on with James and Draco couldn't figure it out. James was one of those who made a plan, then jumped into it with both feet. This hesitation was strange and then the thought hit him. "You're not going back to the idea that you love Teddy, are you?"

"Fuck no," James answered. "That insanity ended when he and Victoire showed me pictures of little Remus' birth." He shivered. "I never needed to see my cousin's cunt, thank you very much. In fact, that pretty much convinced me that I never needed to see any cunt ever, especially stretched like-" He pretended to gag. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Draco rolled his eyes. "She gave birth. I'm sure a few pictures won't kill you."

"Come on, you've seen them. Those aren't normal photos," James said.

"I will admit that they are not what people in my generation did, but apparently there is a whole new market out there for pictures and extended images of children's birth. I heard that the new spell is similar to some Muggle thing that takes pictures that can last hours."

"Videos," James said. "And yes, and I'm not a Muggle and I don't need to see that."

Draco snorted. "I'm sure your family would love to hear you say that, possibly with just that tone of superiority. In fact, if you do say it, do take one of those extended images for my viewing pleasure. Or we can just use a pensieve, since we're not Muggles."

"Please, as if most of my family doesn't think that Muggles are nothing more than trained monkeys. They might not say it, but the condescending tone is so obvious. Really clever those Muggles, they have built cars. Did you see that they can make light even without magic? Grandma is the worst, but if you tell her, she'll tell you that you're crazy and we're all equal."

"And you know this, because you've brought it up one or twice?" Draco guessed.

"More like every time I want to annoy them," he added, chuckling. He rested his head against the backrest, still turned to face Draco. "So… my list."

"Will you continue or is this a guessing game?"

James sighed. "No, it's not. I guess it's hard to talk about this, because … well, I want someone I can talk to, someone I can share this part of me, but I also want someone who understands about my job and the Dark Arts, someone who's not in love with my Dad or his fame, someone who doesn't care about the politicians and war heroes in the family, someone who sees past the bravado and the jokes, someone who makes me laugh even while discussing important things."

"Tall order," Draco said.

"Not really," James answered. "Once I listed things like that, I realised that there is one person that I've wanted to date for a while, but I've never had the courage to say anything, and no, it's not Teddy."

Draco squeezed James' arm. "Whoever it is, he's a lucky man, but you have to tell him, James, take a chance, because what you've been doing has made you miserable."

"I know I've been a mess." James stared at Draco, eyes almost as green as Potter's, but with the same determination. "It's why I'm here, because that person- it's you. It's been you for months. I've come up with any excuse to come here. People in the division must think I'm crazy for always volunteering, but it was the only way to see you, and I know what you're going to say: my father, your age, but you know something? I don't care about any of that."

Draco opened his mouth, then closed it again, because he was about to say exactly those things, and he did care that Potter would murder him if he found out. "What about what I want?" he asked instead.

"I guess that's why I'm here asking you out," James said, smiling brightly once more. "I thought we could go out, away from Britain. We can pick a country where no one cares about the Potters and the Malfoys. New York sounds brilliant and no one cares about Britain over there. We can go out to dinner, maybe some club. They have a lot more things than we have here. It's low key, stress free, and we see if I'm right, which I am, because I'm always right."

Draco couldn't help but smile at that last part. "And also very modest, something that I appreciate, but still-" He didn't think it was that easy. "Why? You've been talking about those fit bodies and great sex non-stop, and I'm not twenty-one." He refused to point out that he didn't look as good as those youngsters James liked to date.

"You look great, and about the second part- you've been having sex longer than I've been alive. You've got to know more than most people I date," he answered, chuckling.

"Cheeky brat," Draco said, laughing.

"Is that a yes?" James asked.

"I'm not sure if-"

"Come on, Draco. You haven't been out in ages. Don't think I haven't noticed that you stopped dating," James said.

Draco shrugged. "After Astoria, I waited for a while, then everyone pushed me into dating and I did, but now- I tried, but my generation seems to carry too much baggage."

"Then it's perfect, because I'm not part of your generation and the only baggage I carry is an overnight duffel if we decide to have breakfast at Tiffany's," James said.

Draco frowned. "I have no idea what that means."

"It's a Muggle film that I saw at Uncle Ron's. Forget it, it's nothing important. Dinner, me, you, New York?"

Draco sighed. "You're not going to stop until I say 'yes', are you?"

"You know me so well. Friday then. And maybe breakfast on Saturday."

* * *

**Chapter Three: New York  
** 25 October, 2024  
Prompt 43: Square – Washington Square 

Draco rarely left Britain and when he did, he went somewhere in Europe. The United States seemed as foreign as the Muggle world, even if it wasn't his first trip to New York. Still he'd never expected that he'd be sitting in a fancy magical restaurant, hidden between two buildings in Washington Square, with James as company.

No one had looked at them when they had arrived. There had been no sign of recognition on anyone's face and Draco had looked for it. They were completely anonymous. It was exhilarating and humbling at the same time.

"What is it?" James asked. 

"I'm not used to people not knowing me," Draco admitted. "Good or bad, everyone has an opinion of me."

"I know," James said as he pushed away his dessert plate. "At least you don't let that opinion change what you do."

"Unlike you?" Draco asked.

James shrugged. "It's not just me, though. What I do reflects on Dad. Can you imagine the press if I fuck up a case? Nepotism, incompetence, Gryffindor arrogance. I can write the headlines. What's worse is that sooner or later it will happen."

"I get why you try so hard with work, but let's face it, there haven't been dark wizards in decades. I think you can relax," Draco said. "It also doesn't apply to your personal life."

"Really? Because I think you're wrong. Son of the Chose One Bats for the Wrong Team. Great Legacy Cut Short."

Draco snorted. "If you ever get bored with the Aurors, you can always try writing for Witch Weekly."

James balled up his napkin and tossed it in Draco's direction. "Prat. Just for that, you'll pay for breakfast."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I never agreed to stay here."

James tensed a little, but he kept smiling. "I know, but I'm stubborn and with the time difference, it's already late, we'll get tired. International Apparition is so hard anyway. You wouldn't want to be splinched across the ocean, would you?" James pulled out his wallet and paid the bill. "I got us two rooms, but if you change your mind, we can always share, but for now we can see New York."

Draco observed how comfortable and self-assured James seemed, from the way he handled the payment to the reservations already made. This was the public James, the one who never did anything wrong, who always knew how to handle himself in front of people and the press. He was smooth and polished, and Draco found that he didn't like it. "I'll make you a deal. I'll consider breakfast, if you stop pretending that we have an audience."

James winced. "That obvious?"

Draco nodded. "I've known you for too long."

"I'm sorry, it's just- I thought you wanted to leave and polite detachment is my default when things don't go well," James admitted.

"I know that, too." Draco got up and when James joined him, he put his hand on James' back. "I'm not interested in James Sirius Potter, son of the Saviour. I agreed to go out with you. Let's go see New York."

**Prompt 49: Club - The Speakeasy**

Draco looked around the club as they stepped inside. There was an assortment of people from different ethnic backgrounds, a lot more mixed that the British wizarding population. The clothes were also a lot more varied. He could recognize some of the more traditional cuts, but there were some really strange styles as well. 

The club was dark and not too big. There was a small stage with a dance floor right in front of it, while round tables were all around the dance area with the bar at the entrance. On stage, there was a live band composed of a sax, a trumpet, a trombone, piano, bass, drums, and guitar. The seven players accompanied a singer who was singing an old Blues song about love potions and true love. People seemed mesmerised by her voice and Draco suspected that the woman was part Veela, because he could feel an inexplicable need to go up on stage and kiss her. He forced himself to look away, before he did something truly stupid.

"Where are we again?" he asked as James pulled him toward the only table in a corner. The table was strategically positioned, both of them would have their backs to the wall while looking at the stage. They also had a perfect view of the room. Auror training was making James paranoid and Draco approved immensely, because he didn't like being at a disadvantage in a foreign country

"It's a speakeasy," James said as they took a seat. The waitress took their orders, before disappearing with a pop.

Draco leaned closer to be heard over the music. "A what?" 

"Muggles used the name during prohibition when people couldn't drink here in the States. After they repealed the law, the wizarding population kept the names for their club. It wasn't the alcohol that was secret but the magic." James stopped and rolled his eyes at Draco. "You're taking the piss, aren't you?"

Draco grinned. "I might know things from outside Britain. Granted, I'm not very interested in them, but I still know them. Besides Astoria was fascinated with the United States. We made a few trips before she got really sick."

James's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry. You should have said; I could have picked somewhere else."

Draco shook his head. "No need to apologise. This was a good idea and Astoria has been dead for over five years. It doesn't hurt as it used to and I like to remember what we had."

"But it still hurt?" James asked.

"I think… I'm not sure, but I think that it'll always hurt a little. I loved her and she gave up her life to have Scorpius, to give me a son. She was a wonderful mother. Even though she was sick and couldn't be with him as much as she wanted to, he always knew that she loved him." Draco smiled, sadly. "She knew that she'd leave us, but wanted our family so much that nothing I said made a difference. I will always love her for that and I will always miss the time we didn't have together, but I am finally at a point where I can move on."

"Is this why you never had any lasting relationship? I remember my last year in school, reading about you and some of your dates. I kept wondering how people would react when they were men, but you never seemed interested in anyone for long, and now you barely mention anyone."

"It was too soon, and now-" Draco shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I haven't found anyone that keeps my interest."

"Until now, because I'm awesome," James said with his big and bright smile.

"I was going to say you're as annoying as a garden gnome, but we can use awesome instead," he teased.

"I believe persistent is the word you were looking for. I told you, I know big words," James said.

"You do indeed, but how about you shut up for a minute or two." Draco got up and extended an arm in James' direction. James looked up with a frown, but took Draco's hand and go up. "Let's dance," Dance said.

"You mean-" James looked around the room, as if evaluating the situation.

"I mean you and me, moving on the dance floor," Draco said slowly. "I thought the point of coming here was that no one would know us and we could do whatever we wanted."

James took a moment to think about it and then nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm being stupid. I'm just not used to being this open. Dancing it is."

Draco led James to the dance floor and they began to sway to the slow notes. The song changed, but the genre didn't. More words about lost love and young love that Draco found very appropriate considering his discussion with James. "I'm glad we came." He was rewarded by a big smile. 

James leaned into Draco, eyes closed as they danced. "This is better than I expected," he murmured. "I could stay here forever."

**Prompt 11: Red – Painting the Town Red**

They didn't stay forever, but two hours later they left to see this magical new show on Broadway, and then there was ice cream at the newest ice cream shop on a secret floor of the Empire State Building. After that James suggested a new hot spot where wizards could fly over Central Park without being seen by Muggles.

"We're not going flying," Draco answered.

"Is something wrong?" James asked.

"Let me see. It's two o'clock in New York, making it seven in the morning back home. I'm tired, you look ready to fall asleep and you want us to go flying. I don't know what could possibly go wrong." Draco took James' hand and squeezed it gently. "You don't have to try so hard, and we don't have to do everything tonight. If there's something you really want to do, we can come back some other time."

James didn't answer, but Apparated both of them to the lobby of their hotel, before dragging Draco up to their rooms. 

Draco went along only to stop in front of the door. "Bloody hell, James. What are you doing?"

"You said we can do it again, so I thought- we could stay in my room," James said confused. "Or your room. I'm not picky."

Draco snorted. "How did you hear 'I'm tired' and thought that I meant 'let's have sex'? Look, I meant what I said. We can do this again, going out, spending time together. It doesn't mean that we're having sex tonight."

"Why not?" James asked. "We had fun, you want to do it again, and it's what you do when you go out."

"No, it's what _you_ do when you go out and we know how well those relationships ended," Draco pointed out. "James, if we wanted this to be a one-night stand, we could have done it at the manor and no one would have known anything. You said you want to date, then we're dating, but I'm not jumping into bed with a twenty-year-old before you're sure this is what you want."

"I know what I want. I want you." James got closer. He moved slowly, giving Draco the time to move away, and when he didn't, James pressed their lips together, while his hand moved down Draco's back, settling on his arse. "Draco."

Draco cupped James' cheeks as he pulled back. "Not tonight, James. Maybe you're sure, but I'm not. I need time to adjust to the idea."

"Is it my name?" James asked.

Draco laughed. "No, nothing to do with your family and a lot to do with your age, and besides there's something to be said about the build-up. For once, enjoy it."

"I'm a Gryffindor. We don't do anticipation well, but I can try." James kissed Draco's cheek. "Good night."

* * *

**Chapter Four: All I Want For Christmas Is You  
** 24 December, 2024  
Prompt 92: Christmas 

Two months, two wonderful, exhilarating, passionate and frustrating months later, James was ready to hex someone. They had spent too many nights together, going outside of the country or using polyjuice to go out in Britain. James was either working or with Draco, becoming so obvious that Lucius had commented that another Potter had moved in. That should have given James pause, but he couldn't stay away, especially when Draco still refused to have sex, which led to his brilliant plan.

They had decided that they would celebrate Christmas Eve at James' cottage. He'd gotten his little house after being accepted in the Auror division. His parents had helped pay for it since Albus had decided that Grimmauld Place should be his because it was a Slytherin house and he was the only Slytherin in the family. Everyone had agreed with him, including James who wanted nothing to do with a house decorated with snakes.

James' cottage was not as grand as Grimmauld Place. It had a big room that served as drawing room/dining room annexed to an open kitchen. He had a master bedroom and a guest room that his mother kept referring to as the future nursery. James thought of it as the storage room. What the house lacked in grandeur, it made up in cosiness and warmth, but it felt more like home when Draco was over.

"Finally, you're here," James said as he opened the door. He'd told Draco that he could just Floo in, but Draco liked privacy and front doors.

"House elves made us dinner." 

The words were barely out when James heard the pop and then the table was set up with expensive china and utensils. The aroma of food invaded the house, making him smile. "I did try to cook," he said.

"Did anything survive?" Draco asked as he stepped inside and closed the door.

"Of course not," he answered, laughing, "but you knew that. One day I'll learn. Or I'll just have to find a rich man with lots of house elves."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Keep talking and you'll find yourself alone."

James shook his head and closed his arms around Draco. "Nah, because I'm not letting you go." The teasing tone was replaced by a much intense one. "I'm not letting you go, because the past two months have proven that I was right all along about this and I don't want your money, I don't want your house elves, I don't want your food. All I want is _you_."

He kissed Draco gently, lips hovering as he pulled back. "I won't change my mind. This isn't some itch I need to scratch. I want you, I want a real relationship with you, and you've agreed to give us a chance, but we can't have one if you keep being afraid that I'll leave the moment we have sex."

"It's not the sex," Draco said.

"But it is. You've turned sex into this mystical thing, like if we get off, suddenly the attraction will disappear, but it won't, because I'm not dating you for a quick fuck. I love your wit. I love how caring you are with the people you love. I find your knowledge intriguing. It's you, all of you, and if you keep using sex as barrier, we'll never really have a relationship, because you see sex as the expiration date on this and it's not." James sighed, and pulled back. "And I didn't mean to nag tonight. We can talk about it some other time. Do you want to eat?"

Draco looked at the food, and it smelt delicious, but he shook his head. "The food will stay. The beauty of warming charms." Or whatever else the house elves did, Draco wasn't too sure of it. "There's something else we should do first," he said as he led James toward the bedroom.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Birthday Party  
** 17 April, 2025  
Prompt 86: Choices – Moving Forward 

Six months together and Draco was completely whipped. He was well aware of the fact, even if no one else knew it. True to his word, James hadn't disappeared after they had sex. If anything, he'd been around even more and when he'd asked with that smile of his that made people feel like they were the most important thing in the world if Draco was going to be at his birthday party, Draco had said yes. Never mind that he'd stopped going to the Weasley/Potter parties once Scorpius had been old enough to Floo by himself. Never mind that he had no reason to be there. Never mind that it was held at the Burrow to accommodate the Quidditch match that was a ritual at James' parties. Truly whipped.

"You look like you want to run away," Harry said, offering a bottle of beer.

Draco took it, not sure if he was expected to drink from it. Potter took a swig from his, and that answered Draco's question. "It was very nice of James to invite me, but-"

"Yes, why did he?" Harry asked.

"He said it was the least he could do after he keeps bothering me with Dark objects," Draco answered smoothly. He'd practiced that delivery over and over at the Manor, because he knew someone was bound to ask him. "I couldn't say no. Well, I did say no. A few times, but James doesn't give up."

Harry laughed. "No one even tries to tell him 'no'. It's much easier to go along with what he wants."

"Yes, I did try to explain that the ministry pays me for those Dark objects, but alas he wouldn't listen," he said, smiling. "It's a nice party, though."

"Except for the part that you want to run away," Harry put in. 

"Not so much run away." He looked around the crowd here and there were too many Weasleys and too many youngsters, but he smiled when he saw Scorpius and Albus. "I just don't have much in common with most of the people present. That's all."

"You always do that, smile when you look at those two. I remember in school, you talking about your money and things, but I was never jealous of you. Then Albus was sorted. I remember him coming back in the summer, and we'd be in the kitchen, talking and he'd say something and then say 'I wonder what Mr. Malfoy thinks' or 'I have to ask Mr. Malfoy if it's a good idea'. I was sitting right there and he wouldn't ask me or Ginny. That's why I became jealous."

Draco sighed. "He loves you. He really does, but- You think like a Gryffindor and he's a Slytherin. Besides it has more to do with Scorpius than me. They are very close, while Al and James are like cats and dogs. It's easier to find acceptance at my house. It's also easier to go along when it's not my child." Not that he didn't go along with Scorpius. His son was spoilt and Draco found it perfectly acceptable. 

Harry looked at the two young men when Lucy and another girl approached them. "That's your niece, isn't she?"

Draco nodded. "Sophie. She's beautiful, isn't she?" Sophie had inherited Daphne's green eyes, Blaise's fine features and a warm copper skin colour that made her stand out no matter where she was. "She and Al are seeing more of each other."

"I noticed. Not that he's said anything," Harry said. "How serious?"

"They haven't exactly shared that and I haven't asked. Why the sudden interest?" Draco asked.

"Molly has been on his case. Well his and James', but James hasn't shown any interested in settling down," Harry explained.

Draco snorted. "What's her rush? Albus is still eighteen. Almost all of her grandchildren are married or engaged. They aren't many singles left."

"Tell me about it. It's Lucy, Hugo and my three. Lucy is seeing your son, Hugo and Lily are too young and I get to hear all the complaints," Harry said with a sigh.

"Better single than like some of the others. I can't believe Victoire and Teddy are pregnant with their third child and little Remus is only two and a half. I love my son, but three of him in such quick succession would have driven me crazy," Draco said.

"No, they wouldn't have. They would have driven Astoria crazy. I remember back then, when you used to consult for the Ministry and Gringotts. You spent as much time as me working," Harry said.

"And how would you know?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Ginny might have mentioned that you were my mistress, once or twice, and… I wanted to make sure that being so close to all that Dark magic didn't have an impact on you," Harry admitted.

"You're a creepy stalker, Potter, and I'm still not a dark wizard, Potter. I'm done with all of that."

Harry nodded. "I know, and we can always delve into that conversation some other time. Right now, my son and your niece. Tell me what you really know."

Draco laughed. "You give me too much credit. I don't _know_ anything, Potter, but-" He moved closer. "I'm guessing that the engagement will happen when Lucy finally tells Scorpius that they are getting married, because those two are getting engaged at the same time and Lucy knows what she wants."

Harry snorted. "They all do. Bill's three are all married, all three are expecting a baby because they decided that they are going to have children at the same time. George's are taking the Quidditch world by storm. Between mine, Ron's and Percy's, I'm not sure which one is going to be Minister first."

"Albus. Definitely Albus," Draco said. "He's doing well at the Wizengamot services from what I hear. Lots of support from the more progressive wing, but he's managed to charm the old timers. It helps that he's a Potter, looks like you and was sorted in Slytherin."

Harry sighed. "I was afraid of that. I'm pretty sure that his brother and cousins might try to murder him for that job."

Draco chuckled. "I doubt it. How about Lily? I hear the Harpies sent a scout to Hogwarts."

"They did. She's got the Weasley talent. She can join Fred and Roxanne." Harry stopped when he saw James come their way. "And here's the birthday boy. I can't believe that you're willingly speaking to your father at your party."

James laughed. "Mum sent me to make sure that you two aren't hexing each other."

"We only did that, what? A couple of hundred times. Why ever would they think we'd do it again," Draco said, his lip twitching before smiling.

"No idea, Malfoy," Harry added, grinning. "And we weren't hexing each other. We were talking about work."

Draco wondered when family had turned into work, but he wasn't about to contradict the man in front of his son. "Yes, I mentioned how many Dark objects we've seen recently."

James put up a privacy spell. "Did you tell him about your theory?" he asked, suddenly very serious.

"It's not a theory, James. It's just-" Something that he didn't want to think about. He turned to Harry. "I used to get plenty of objects after the war, but they were old ones, many of them were things that had been in different vaults and mansions for centuries, with people not even knowing what they were. Now we've getting an influx of objects again, but the magic feels different, newer and rawer. It's almost like-"

"There's a new dark wizard," Harry finished. "I've been thinking that too. There's no solid evidence, but my gut tells me that we're right."

"I generally dismiss 'guts' as proof, but your gut has been right in the past. Except with Severus," Draco added with a smirk.

"Shut up. He was too good of a spy for a child," Harry said, before sighing. "Anyway, this is a discussion for some other time. James, we should join the rest since your mother is bringing the cake out."

**Prompt 74: Dark - Darkness and Bliss**

Draco was happy when he finally could leave, but he didn't go home. Instead he waited for James at his cottage. It still felt strange to be there without James, but it was better than the possibility of being seen by someone outside.

He was lounging on the couch, reading a book when the door opened up. It was pitch black outside, a storm brewing in the distance, but James' smile made everything better. 

"You're here." James went straight to the couch and squeezed between Draco and the backrest, although in truth he was mostly on Draco, something that he did often when they were alone. "Thank you for coming today."

"I haven't, not yet," Draco joked.

"Ah ha, very funny, Mr. Malfoy. I'm starting to think that you want me around for my arse."

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be a secret?" Draco put the book on the floor and wrapped both arms around James. "I hear someone's been talking to you about settling down and having kids. How has your search going?"

"Really well," James answered, going for a serious tone, but there was mirth on his face. "I found this person, who's very stable, doesn't want me for my name and we're practicing having children on a regular basis. Unfortunately, neither one of us seems to have the right body parts for children."

"We are wizards," Draco said, with a faraway look. "We've cured most Muggle diseases; we have ways to reach immortality. Perhaps a man having a child wouldn't be impossible."

"Don't you even joke about that, not unless you're volunteering, because I have no intention of finding a magical way to get pregnant. Merlin, have you been around pregnant women?"

Draco snorted. "Are you seriously asking me that? You, the single gay man with no children is asking the widower with a son if he's been around a pregnant woman? I assure you that I know more about pregnant women than you."

"Point," James said. "Still not getting pregnant. I'd rather tell my parents than that."

"You know that sooner or later you will have to. Your father was listing who's still single in your family and there aren't many left. Once Albus and Lucy get engaged, it's just you, Lily and Hugo and they are still in school."

"Merlin, don't remind me. Why? Tell me why in bleeding hell are they all married or on their way. They are so young. Why can't they just enjoy life?" James rested his head against Draco's shoulder. "I know I can't keep lying, but- I don't know if I want to tell them. It's not just about disappointing them, but I've grown to enjoy that this is something I don't have to share with everyone else."

"We can keep it a secret." Draco kissed James' hair. "I won't force you to come out. That has to be your decision, and you should do it when you're comfortable, but your family might not give you that same courtesy."

"Tell me about it." He raised his head and stared at Draco. "Can we not talk about it for tonight? It's still my birthday and I want to enjoy it."

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Me, you, no clothes. I'm flexible on the rest. Unless you have something in mind." James grinned. "You do. I can see you in your face. You were just waiting for me."

Draco stood up and pulled James with him. "I might have been thinking about a surprise." He led James to the bedroom. "Take your clothes off and we'll play a little game."

Six months together made for less hurried sex. Some days he missed the urgency of their first times together, but this brought about a familiarity that Draco enjoyed. He could tell exactly what mood James was in from the way he took his clothes off, if they were folded or thrown on the floor. Tonight, everything was precise and methodical, something that happened when James was tense and had spent a substantial amount of time watching what he said and did. James loved his family, but Draco knew how much of an act the perfect, happy-go-lucky image was and how much effort it took. He planned to do something about it tonight.

Folding the last of his clothes and putting it on a chair, James got in bed. Even now, he was waiting, analysing, determining what was expected of him. Draco didn't give him much time to think. Instead he got rid of his own clothes and then picked up three silk ribbons.

"Are those supposed to go around a gift?" James asked with a grin.

"Not tonight." Draco straddled his lover and ran the silk over James' chest, leaving the ribbons there for now. "Do you trust me?"

"Always," came the immediate response.

He picked up one ribbon and wrapped it against James' wrist. "Then, let me do this for you and if you don't enjoy it, we stop."

"Do it." No hesitation in James' voice, but instead there was curiosity and anticipation. James watched as Draco tied both his wrists to the headboard, and then the last one covered his eyes. His heart skipped a beat as blackness descended upon him. James wasn't one to surrender control and this scared him. "Draco?"

"I'm right here," he said softly, lips a mere breath away from James' ear.

"I can't do this for long," James said while trying to breathe to quell the sense of panic that was threatening to take over him. 

Draco started to touch him, hands sliding over James' body. "I'm right here, Jamie. I promise that I won't leave you."

"Just keep talking to me," James said.

"I'll try, but then I can't do this-" _A kiss_ "Or this-" _Another kiss_ "Or maybe this-" _One more kiss_. Draco slowly draw a path from James' shoulder to his navel, only to start again on the other side. With each kiss, James relaxed a little more, the panic that he'd felt retreating until there was nothing left. He was getting lost in the sensations Draco was creating with his mouth and hands.

Draco's voice became fainter and James felt like he was floating in the sky, surrounded by clouds. The bright picture in his head was a sharp contrast to the blackness created by the blindfold. He was so lost in this world that the finger pressing inside him was unexpected and ripped a moan of pleasure from him. 

Draco seemed to understand, because he wasn't trying to ask questions or make points, but he murmured sweet nonsense to keep the connection between the two of them. Each new touch made James want more, but he couldn't even say the words, letting Draco guide him through this web of pleasure that had envelop him like a cocoon. When James finally felt Draco enter him, he felt completely relaxed, but of course Draco changed the game plan. The gentle thrusts were soon followed by a pounding rhythm, desire coiling tight around James until he was ready to explode.

"Draco… please."

"Shh, I'll take care of you." Draco closed his fingers around James' erection, stroking him and when neither of them could wait any longer, Draco leaned closer and whispered, "Come for me, Jamie."

James seemed to be waiting for those simple words and his orgasm hit him like tall ocean waves crashing against rocks, loud and explosive, before receding and leaving a pleasant buzz while Draco still pushed into him, fucking him until he too was coming.

Draco rushed to take off the blindfold. James stayed with his eyes close, but he could see, or maybe sense the two lit torches on the wall. "This was awesome," he said, still panting. "Best birthday gift."

* * *

**Chapter Six: Saying Goodbye  
** 21 May, 2025  
Prompt 30: Death – St. Mungo's 

The note had arrived in Albus' messy handwriting, but Draco deciphered it easily. 

_Dear Draco,_

_We're okay, but can you come to St. Mungo's? Please. Fourth Floor._

_Albus_

Despite the opening sentence, Draco was anything but reassured, which made him move faster than normal. He hated St. Mungo's more than he could say and had avoided it since Astoria's death, but if Albus needed him, he'd be there. 

When he entered, the same receptionist from six years prior was still there. She smiled and nodded at him. Draco nodded back before making his way to the fourth floor. Once there, he didn't have to ask for directions, because there were enough red heads to lead him to where he was going. The silver hair so similar to his own next to a black mop of hair told him where his final destination was.

He breathed easier when he saw both Albus and Scorpius doing well. He saw James talking to his parents, but they too seemed well. 

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked from a few feet away.

Draco turned at the question. "Albus asked me to come." He kept his calm, because obviously he'd stepped into some Weasley family drama and didn't want to make things worse. Ron seemed to understand, or maybe he'd asked more out of habit than anything else, because he went back to talking to his wife. In the meantime, James and his parents had moved closer. "Can someone tell me why I'm here?"

"Arthur passed away." Harry put an arm around his wife and squeezed gently. "He's been sick since the war, and-"

"I've got to talk to you." Albus grabbed the sleeve of Draco's robe and led him away from his family and into the staircase.

"You'd better have a reason for that, because that was rude." 

Albus wrapped his arms around Draco and buries his head against his shoulder. He wasn't speaking, he could barely breathe while he silently cried. Draco held him closer, while he cast a spell to ensure that no one would open the stairway door. 

"I'm sorry, Al."

Albus took a deep breath and then stepped back. "I shouldn't have asked you to come, but I needed someone, and Scorpius is great, but I didn't want to- With his mum- Not that I should have asked you."

"Don't worry about that, but you have your parents," Draco pointed out. "You also have your siblings and your cousins. There are a lot of people out there who are going through the same thing."

"I know, but- I'm always the strange one, the weird one, the Slytherin. I don't have emotions, or I have too many emotion, or they aren't the right emotions. I just- I didn't want to deal with that."

Draco sighed, remembering the discussion with Harry at James' birthday. "Your father doesn't judge you, Al; he just wants to understand you. Come on, let's get out there, before they start wondering what's going on."

"But you'll stay?"

Draco nodded. "But you need to speak to your parents when you leave here. Deal?"

"I can do that."

**Prompt 14: Green – The Green-Eyed Monster**

"Prick."

"Excuse me," Draco asked as he turned to James.

"Al. He's a prick." The two stood face to face, near a wall and a discrete distance from the rest of the family. "I can't believe he asked you to come here."

"He needed someone to talk." Draco never got between the two brothers, he didn't defend either one, but he tried to explain how the other reasoned, mostly for his own sanity.

" _He_ has plenty of people to talk to." James glared at his brother, who had gone off to greet Sophie who had just arrived.

"So do you."

"Not like him," James snapped.

"You know I care for your brother, but I'm in love with you, and you have someone to talk to; you have me. We can stay here and talk or we can go for coffee," Draco said.

"I don't want coffee. I'm already too hyper."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I mean that as an excuse so we can go somewhere private. Don't think I haven't seen the way you're playing older cousin, even to Molly and Victoire who're older than you. It's okay to rely on someone else. It's better than being jealous of your brother."

"Do you ever need anyone? You're always so… so put together, almost emotionless."

Draco snorted. "That's just funny. Al was just saying how most of your family thinks that he has no emotions. It's not that we don't, but that we've learned to control them better and we let go around family. Al did it with me in the stairway. When Astoria died, I had my parents and Scorpius had me."

"You have me now."

"Luckily I've been extremely happy since you've been around," Draco answered.

"Me too, except-" For the first time, James betrayed a sign of his own emotions, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'll let them know that we're getting some coffee and coming back."

**Prompt 35: Sixth Sense - Mother's Intuition**

"Thank you for being here for my children," Ginny said as she approached Draco.

"It's the least I could do, and you have my condolences."

"Thank you." Ginny looked around. Her entire family was here, even Charlie had arrived. Tragedy had brought them all together, but she would have never imagined that one day, her children would have relied on the Malfoys or Sophie for comfort. "Sophie is a lovely girl and I have a feeling that she'll be family soon enough."

Draco smiled. "Your husband has been trying to get confirmation from me, but I can't give you any. They haven't told me."

Ginny shook her head. "I'm not asking you anything. I know my son. I might not always understand his motivations, but I do know him and he'll propose to her. They fit." She stopped a moment, before adding, "Like you and Jamie."

Draco coughed. "Excuse me?"

"I know both my sons, Malfoy-"

"If we're having this discussion, call me Draco." Not that he wanted to have this discussion in the first place, but if she knew anything, he wanted to know what it was and what he had to do to protect James.

"Jamie is hardly subtle, although he thinks he is. Or maybe it's just that bond a mother has with her sons. I don't think anyone else has clued in yet. Or if they have, everyone is trying to give him room."

"To change his mind?"

Ginny laughed. "Possibly, and possibly to avoid the blowout that will happen when my mother finds out. Don't take it personally. It's not that she doesn't like you-"

"She _doesn't_ like me and she hates my parents," Draco said.

"It wouldn't matter who James was seeing. She's been talking about James and babies since he was born, carrying the Potter name and all of that rubbish." Ginny stared at Draco with the intensity that other players had come to know and fear when she was still playing. "I will keep your secret and Jamie's. I will not point out how my son is only twenty-one. I will also not hex you, because he's been happy, but if you ever hurt him, _Draco_ , there's no place on earth where you can hide. Forget about what Harry can do; I will hurt you so badly that you will wish for Harry to kill you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, but I won't hurt him," Draco said, standing his ground.

"Good, then we can continue to pretend that I don't know anything and Jamie can tell me when he's good and ready. And now, I must speak with my brothers."

* * *

**Chapter Seven: A Year Older  
** 5 June, 2025  
Prompt 50: Spade – A gift 

"If that is your idea of a gift, you need to re-evaluate your choices," Draco said with a grin when James entered his study, still dressed in his Auror's robe.

"Really? And I thought that gardening was your favourite hobby." James used magic to move the spade that was floating behind him. "Do not ask me why anyone would curse a bloody gardening tool, because I have no idea, but there's something strange about this one and I didn't want to shrink it, and that meant no protective box, which is why I've been walking around with this thing floating next to me."

He rested the spade on top of Draco's desk and then straddled his lover. "I have to go back to work, but first-" He leaned down and kissed Draco, melting against him. "Mmm, happy birthday."

"You've already said that. This morning. I believe there was sex involved."

James grinned. "It couldn't have been good sex if you aren't sure. I have to admit that I never appreciated how amazing it is to have an entire manor with so many rooms that people never know who's here and who's not. No way I could sneak people in and out of my parents' house like you do."

"I do not sneak people in or out. I'm an adult and you've been using the front door. However, since my parents occupy the fifth floor and Scorpius the third one, it's unlikely that you'll meet anyone on my floor," Draco said.

"And that's why I love your manor," James finished. "All right, work, but I'll see you tonight."

"You won't find an excuse not to show up at my dinner party, will you?" Draco asked, knowing James a little too well.

James sighed. "It's bloody scary. I hope you know that. This isn't just family. All of your friends will be here."

"And your brother and your cousins," Draco added.

"Right, so me and Lucy will be the only Gryffindors in a nest of snakes."

"First, it's Lucy and I. Grammar is important. Two, Victoire will be here with Teddy and she's a Gryffindor. Three, this is a manor and not a nest. Four, there will be no snakes, just Slytherins, and you're supposed to be brave enough." There was no point in pushing James into coming and then be miserable. This was something he had to want to do. "If you don't want to come, I'll see you afterwards. It's all right."

The words made James feel like crap. No other way to describe that feeling. Draco always made time to come to the Potter family events when James asked. "I'm being stupid," he finally said. "It's your birthday. Of course I'll be there. And now I really have to go."

**Prompt 96: Writer's Choice - Mother's Intuition Redux**

James had barely walked out of Draco's study when he heard footsteps. The clink of heels was enough to let him know that this was the lady of the house.

"Mr. Potter, let me escort you out," Narcissa said with a smile.

"Call me James. Mr. Potter is my father," James answered, like he'd done thousands of times before, but she was insistent when it came to formalities. "And you don't need to walk all the way downstairs. I can see myself out."

"Nonsense." She began walking next to him and James slowed down in reverence to her age and heels, the latter more of an issue, because at seventy years of age, Narcissa Malfoy was as fit as  
someone half her age. "You're spending a lot of time at the manor. Even our house elves are getting used to having you here."

James tensed at her words. She was a Slytherin and wouldn't come out and say what she meant, but her circular way of speaking always made James want to get straight to the point, even if he knew better. "We've been getting more Dark objects lately and Draco is the only one with the expertise. I guess we've become friend as well."

"Friends? Interesting," she answered with a smile. "I never had friends sleep over, unless you count when I was a very young girl. Do you sleep at many friends' homes or just my son's?"

James blushed. Busted, he thought, but that didn't mean that he had to confirm her suspicions. "With all due respect-"

"I find that people have very little respect when they use those words, Mr. Potter." She stopped walking and turn to him. "I'm not looking for you to tell me what I already know. This is my house. There are enough house elves, portraits and ghosts, that I always know who's here and who's not. Now, I make a point to keep these things from my husband, because the house is my domain and he shouldn't be worried about silly things like house guests, but make no mistake, I absolutely know when you are here, just like I know when Draco leaves after dinner and doesn't show up until breakfast."

"As I was saying, I think that Draco is an adult and this is something that you have to discuss with him," James continued, refusing to back down.

A light laughter echoed through the hallway. "Oh my dear Mr. Potter, you are so terribly naïve. Draco might be an adult, but he's my son. I've begged, threatened, lied and killed to protect him. I certainly won't upset him by bringing up such personal affairs."

James snorted. "But you have no problem bring up his personal affairs with me. That makes no bloody sense."

Narcissa tilted her head and puckered her lips. "Does that mean that you often discuss Draco with your mother?"

"Touché." James let out a deep breath. "Look, I get what you're saying-"

"No, you have no idea, Mr. Potter. When Astoria died, he was devastated, and it wasn't just her death, but the lingering that affected him. She died slowly, over years and I watched my son wither away with her. Only the fact that he had Scorpius made him keep going." The pain of those years was still evident in her voice, but there was also a sense of pride for her son that shone through. "When that terrible affair appeared in the newspaper, I ignored it, because I was convinced that he wouldn't get involved again, with anyone, let alone a man, but here we are.

"You, Mr. Potter, are in the unfortunate position of being able to hurt Draco. Not just you if you decide to cast him aside, but your entire family can make his life a living hell." She smiled softly at him as if they were having a pleasant conversation. "If you hurt him, I won't be pleased, but I understand that relationships might not last. However, if that should happen and you don't shield Draco from your family, I won't just hurt you back, because that would be too easy, but I will make your entire family suffer. I will destroy them one by one and I'll make you watch, knowing that it's all your doing until you'll beg me to kill you."

"Is that a warning?" he asked with an amused smile, because he didn't expect to get this version of the shovel talk from Draco's mother and it wasn't like people truly meant them anyway.

Narcissa grew serious as she took another step closer, uncaring that James was taller than her. "Oh no, that's a promise, because there is no law on earth that will stop me from wiping out the Weasleys and the Potters."

"Mrs. Malfoy, I'm an Auror and you don't want to say those things to me, because one could think that you are seriously threatening the current Minister, the heads of several departments and their families," James said, calmly. "I will assume that this is just a concerned mother speaking and won't have to report anything. I can also promise you that no one in my family will hurt Draco because of me, and I'll do my best not to hurt him. You're right, I can't promise you that it will be forever, but if you look at my family's track record, we tend to fall young and never let go."

Narcissa raised an eyebrow that reminded James of Draco. "Are you saying that you have _fallen_ for Draco?"

James laughed. "That happened long ago. I've gone from falling to being truly, madly, deeply in love with him, and if one of us had been a woman, I would have proposed already. Hell, I've had even if it was sort of a joke, but he knows what he means to me. You probably look at me and think that I'm just a kid. Half the time Draco looks at me and thinks that I'm going to disappear in another week or month, but I'm not. He's stuck with me for as long as he wants me." He smiled softly. "I hope you'll learn to like me too, because I'll show you that I'm telling you the truth."

"We'll see, Mr. Potter," she said, relaxing a little. "And I think you know the way out."

"Yes, Madam. I'll see you tonight."

**Prompt 91: Birthday – Another Party**

James had felt pretty certain that afternoon. He loved Draco and he would be around for ever and ever, except now he was at this stupid dinner party and he wanted to leave. He felt completely out of place, while Albus was having the time of his life, talking to all of Draco's friends, knowing them well enough to be on a first name basis and share inside jokes with them. 

He frowned when someone nudged his shoulder and then smiled when Lucy offered him a flute of champagne. "Not our type of parties. Draco almost fainted when Dad handed him a beer bottle with no glass," he said, laughing.

"You get used to this," Lucy said with a shrug. "Better alcohol, nicer glasses, but in the end, there isn't much difference. It's just friends and family talking."

"About things and people I don't know."

"You learn. When I started dating Scorpius, I hated being around all these people, kept complaining that they were all Slytherins. Do you know what I learned? That it has nothing to do with houses. They were people I didn't know and I felt out of place. I know that the great James Sirius isn't used to not being the centre of attention, the idol of the people, but you might get used to that as well," she teased.

James gasped. "How dare you! I am and always will be the most important person around. Proof that these are Slytherins if they don't understand that."

She leaned closer. "How much does it hurt that Uncle Harry is the only Gryffindor that even registers with this crowd?"

"I really, really hate you," James said, before taking a sip of the champagne. He had to admit that it was good, although he'd much rather lick it from Draco's body. "So you are getting used to this, does this mean-"

"If you're asking me when we're getting married, you need to stop or I'll hex your sorry arse. I might be getting used to this, but I'm a bloody Weasley and I will make you sorry. The only one who gets to ask that is Grandma Molly." She emptied her glass, before putting it on a floating tray. "And she does ask. Not as often as she asks Molly when she's having her first baby. As if we don't have enough babies in the family." 

She gave James a wicked smile. "And when are you giving grandma a grandchild? She always said that you'd be second after Victoire and now Fred, Dom and Louis are all expecting. Tsk, tsk, you're really not doing your duty, cousin. Have you told Draco that you need to start procreating?"

"Did I mention how much I hate you?" James said with a fake smile. "And I don't know what Draco has to do with this."

Lucy snorted. "Right, because you're here, surrounded by the enemy, because you want to spend time with me, Victoire and Al. Come off of it, Jamie. I get it that you think it's this big secret, but people aren't dumb and they are figuring it out, even if slowly, and some of us get to spend more time here than others, but sooner or later-"

"Merlin's balls." James froze when most of the people present quieted and turned to look at him. Lucy giggled next to him. "That was loud."

"Might have been," she said, chuckling. "Carry on, everyone. My cousin got little excited over the hors d'oeuvres. That's all." She looked at James from the corner of her eyes, grinning. "You were saying."

"That I hate you," he said in a lower voice. "Mrs. Malfoy cornered me today and now you- Do Scorpius and Al know?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "That your bent or that you're dating Draco? Before you get too excited, they know about both. Sophie too. Draco has sworn all of us to secrecy, since apparently you aren't ready to come out."

"So of course you talked to me," he said.

Lucy shrugged. "The way I see it, I'm not betraying a secret since you're already know who you're shagging and if you don't, we have much bigger problems than you being in the closet." She took James' hand in hers and squeezed lightly. "Jamie, love, all of the people here either know or suspect and are pretending not to know, because there's no logical reason why you'd be here otherwise. No one is going to say anything, because no one will betray Draco, but _think_ about telling our family. Sooner or later, they will figure it out."

"So the work excuse?"

Lucy giggled again. "I work at the Ministry. Mum, Dad, Molly, Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione all work at the Ministry, do you see any of them?"

"Victoire and Teddy are here," James said.

"Yes, because Teddy is Draco's cousin and Andromeda is here as well. They have a perfectly good reason to be here," Lucy pointed out.

"Do you think they know about-" James asked in a whisper.

"Probably not. Teddy is a Hufflepuff and Victoire is too nauseous to care about you," she said with a shrug. "But eventually, someone will care. Besides, why are you afraid? Draco is a lovely man."

"You're not partial at all, are you?" James asked, laughing.

"Of course not." She looked at Scorpius and grinned. "I'm going to marry that dunderhead. He and Albus are just too stupid. Slytherin planning, my arse. Neither wants to propose before the other, some sort of betrayal of their bro code. Really how stupid can they be."

"And naturally you'll set them right. They won't know what hit them." James knew just how vicious Lucy could be when she wanted something. She wasn't an Unspeakable for nothing.

"If they don't smart up, Sophie and I will hex them," she said with a snort. "We're giving them until September, and then we have a proposal ready."

"You and Sophie? You've gotten close to her, haven't you?"

"She's nice, pretty sweet in fact. Beautiful and smart. Albus is a lucky man."

"Wow, it sounds like you have a crush on her," he said with a snort.

"If I didn't have perfection already," she said winking. "I'm sure you understand all about the Malfoy perfection, don't you, Jamie? We can even trade stories."

James made a face. "Please, stop. What's wrong with you? Oh thank Merlin," he said when he saw Draco come their way. "You've just saved me from my evil cousin," he said, leaning against Draco without even thinking as his lover put a hand on his back.

Lucy bit her lip trying not to laugh. "Yes, subtle as ever, Jamie. Draco, please tell my cousin that he needs to sharpen his acting skills."

"He acts well enough when he's around the public and press. He doesn't have to act here," Draco said, without missing a beat, before turning to James. "Come, join us. Theo wanted to know about some of those objects I've been working on, where you found them and all of those boring details I don't listen to. Perhaps we can get some unofficial help."

"I can't say much because of the rules, but I'll share what I can. At this point if they have any ideas, we'll take them." James handed Lucy his unfinished glass. "Here, you can finish this before torturing someone else."

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Harry Potter Day  
** 31 July, 2025  
Prompt 33: Too Much – Four Albuses 

Draco couldn't believe what he'd found. If he were right- Of course he was right, and that was what scared him. He made his way to the drawing room in a hurry, while he'd ordered the house elf to bring the spade downstairs to the entrance. "I won't be home-" He stopped when he saw four versions of Albus standing. "What in Salazar's name is going on?"

"We're going out to a party," one of the Albus said.

"Is this why you asked me for the polyjuice?"

One of them giggled and he knew that giggle too well. "Sophie, care to explain."

"It's Harry Potter's birthday and we're celebrating."

"But Uncle Harry wouldn't give us his hair and Albus is too chicken shit to take it."

"My father would kill me."

"But we had the best idea and we're going as young Harry Potter, so we used Al's hair. We just have to draw the lightning bolt."

At least that told Draco who was who, even if it was rather strange to see all four with Al's face. "Enjoy yourselves."

"What were you saying, Dad?"

"Nothing important now. I wanted to inform you that I wouldn't be in for dinner."

"Draco and Jamie, sitting-"

Draco snorted. "No, Lucy, I'm going to see James' father. For work."

"Uncle Draco! Don't you know it's a holiday? It's a national holiday. The Ministry is closed. Everything is closed. You can take a break. Go out and shag someone… whose name we won't mention."

"And do what?" he asked, horrified. "Go out and celebrate Harry Potter? Look like him? Have sex with his son to celebrate his birthday? I think not. I'd rather work with Potter."

Albus sighed. "He's holed up at the house. He never comes out on his birthday, but my aunts and uncles will be there. Grandma, too."

"What in bloody hell is going on here?"

Draco turned around at the question. He looked down at his father's hand. His fingers were dangerously gripping his wand. Draco gently rested a hand on Lucius' arm. "That's Scorpius, that's Lucy and that is Sophie. The last one is really Albus. They are going to a party dressed as young Potter."

"That is mad," Lucius said.

"Very possibly, but I've given up trying to understand the Potter fascination back in school. However, I'm going to see Potter. Voluntarily. On his birthday. So maybe I've gone mad as well," Draco said with a sigh.

"The curse?" Lucius asked.

"Yes," Draco answered gravely.

"You think you found what it is." It wasn't a question, but more a silent discussion that was happening between father and son. Draco wasn't even aware that they were doing it until one of the Albuses came closer.

"Dad, is it serious?"

Draco turned to face his son and smiled. "Nothing that Potter and I can't deal with. You four, go have fun. I'll take care of this."

Lucius squeezed Draco's shoulder. "This isn't your problem anymore."

"If I'm right, it'll be our problem." It'd be everyone's problem and Draco would not let that happen. His son would not live in fear the way he had done.

**Prompt 34: Not Enough – Dark Future**

James frowned when he opened the door and saw Draco standing there. "Is everything all right?" He stepped aside to let Draco in. "Stupid question. You're here, today of all days."

"I've asked my house elf to bring the spade to your father's-" A buzzer rang loudly in the house, ending all conversation. Every person present took out his or her wand, looking around for the source of the intrusion. "What the hell?"

James winced. "Dad, it's all right. It's one of Draco's house elves. End that bloody spell. My ear drums are bleeding." He waited until the noise had ended. "That's one way to make an entrance," he said, laughing. "Dad is a little paranoid and has spells against house elves that pop in and out, something about having learned from experience how everyone underestimates them. He has spells against everything. Did I mention he's paranoid?"

Draco stood stiff, ignoring all the looks he was getting. In fact, he was ignoring James' ramblings, too. "Potter, we need to talk. James, you should be there too."

Harry didn't seem worried or bothered, but instead he seemed relieved. "Of course. My study then?"

Draco followed the other man, leaving James to trail them. When they were all sitting, he cast a spell and revealed the spade that he'd been studying. "I didn't want to carry it since house elves are usually more inconspicuous."

"I've had too many house elves get into my house without my knowledge," Harry said with a smile.

"My elf comes bearing gifts. Happy birthday and all that rubbish."

"All that rubbish indeed," Harry muttered. "You haven't come here to celebrate."

"I haven't lost my mind yet, Potter. James brought me this a few months ago. It's taken me a while to figure out what the spell was. It wasn't something that I've ever encountered before and I had to do some research. A lot of research," he said with a sigh. "After what I found, I didn't think that you'd want this in an official report, which is why I'm telling the two of you at home on a day that the Ministry is closed."

"What did you find?" James asked, leaning forward, but Draco stopped him by grabbing his arm. "I wasn't going to touch it."

"I'm sorry, I'm just-" He ran his fingers through his hair, a sign of how troubled he was. "Did you ever hear of a horcrux?"

"Shit!" The answer was immediate and from both Potters. 

Draco looked between them. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. I hadn't, not until I started researching, then I started piecing things together. The Dark Lord's appearance, Dumbledore's hand. Nothing that has ever been mentioned in any history books. How many times did he split his soul?"

"Seven." James answered for his father, knowing how much Harry hated to talk about the war.

"Do you have a way to destroy these things?" Draco asked.

Harry snorted. "Not really. Let's just say that I was very lucky. Gryffindor sword, basilisk fang."

Draco's eyes went wide at the last one. "The diary. I swear Father didn't know."

"Relax, Malfoy. I know that he didn't. He would have never given Ginny that diary if he'd known. All right, what else do you know?"

"Not much," Draco admitted. "When I hit a dead end, I asked my parents. They know things without having to study them, simply because of the way they were raised, but they didn't know about this either. I have told them some of my suspicions as I was researching different topics. I want you to know that it wasn't because I was trying to let them know, but because I had no idea what this was."

"Malfoy, stop, breathe and relax, for Merlin's sake. If I worried about you, I wouldn't send you my most sensitive cases. Now, talk."

"I couldn't find the spell to create the horcruxes anywhere. That's the good news. Whoever is trying this doesn't know the spell, because he was trying to create one, but it didn't work. I don't think that the choice of object was intentional either, more some sort of accident."

"I hope so," James said, grinning. "Who'd use a spade otherwise."

"This is serious!" Draco winced at the sound of his own voice. He'd never snapped at James, and he'd picked the worst moment, in front of Harry. "I'm sorry. This brings back unpleasant memories. Anyway, he's experimenting, seeing what works and what doesn’t, but someone is trying to find immortality. I wasn't even sure at first, but when I put it together with previous objects that you lot brought me, it made sense. That made me think of other things that he might try and it made me research other ways to reach immortality, ways that the Dark Lord would have tried."

"Look, Malfoy, we can continue this conversation, but for _once_ can you call him Voldemort? Once. Especially if we're about to go after a new dark wizard, I'd like not to get confused because we can't say names." Harry stared at Draco with a slight smile. "He's dead and he can't hurt us."

"Tell that to whoever is following in his footsteps," Draco murmured. "Fine, I looked at what Voldemort might have done." He was impressed that his voice hadn't cracked at the name, but the way James was looking at him made him wonder what James was hearing. "A certain sorcerer's stone."

"Taken care of," Harry said with a smile.

"Deathly Hallows. I would consider them a myth if I didn't know about an invisibility cloak, and a wand-"

"And a resurrection stone. I'll hide them."

"Dad?" James sat up. "Maybe we should leave things the way they are." 

Draco stared at James for a moment. "You seem to know a lot that people don't know." He'd always known that James could keep secret, but he was proving that it went well beyond what the press wanted to know.

"When he joined the Aurors, I thought someone other than Hermione, Ron and I should know what happened. Just in case." Harry sighed and looked at James. "Things that are lost can be found again. Things that I hide will stay hidden. Jamie, starting tomorrow, you'll be on special assignment. You report to me and only me. Nothing is written down and nothing goes through your supervisor." He rubbed his neck. "Malfoy, anything you know, you come straight to me or James."

"Dad, come on. People are going to start bitching if they think I'm not doing anything or-"

"Jamie, I don't care what anyone says. This isn't going to be made public. I need someone I trust implicitly with this. I can't send your Uncle Ron out in the field without raising suspicions. Teddy or Molly don't know what you know." Harry looked sadly at his firstborn. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but you're the only one I can trust, okay?"

"Yeah, but I'm hexing anyone who tells me I'm not working," he said with a sigh.

"It's not James I'm worried about," Draco put in. "Your division has become smaller and smaller, with less resources each passing year. The old timers have retired and the new Aurors have never faced Dark wizards. You've done too good of a job at cleaning up and people think we'll never have a Dark wizard again. Just look around. I'm one of the few people willing to study the Dark Arts."

Harry leaned back against his chair. "Don't you think I know that, Malfoy? Why do you think I've kept Ron there even when he wanted to quit? Teddy, Molly and James. Three members of this family are Aurors when we take only three or four new people every few years. I kept you involved. I knew that sooner or later someone else would go bad, and I'd need people I trust. We need to stop this before it goes any further."

Draco nodded. "I'll start researching. Maybe if I can find out more about the magic, we can find out where he's been and where he will be."

"I don't want any written reports on his. I don't trust this information to stay hidden forever. Whatever you need for payment, come to me and I'll figure it out," Harry reassured.

"I'm not doing this for the money and I'm not doing it for my parents. This we're doing for our children." He nodded toward the spade. "What do you want to do with that? I can take it back but it is Auror property."

"Never logged it," James said, before shrugging when he saw the way Harry and Draco were looking at him. "I told you there was something weird about it."

"I'd like to see the case file connected to the finding. In fact, I'd like to see the investigation files for the other objects I've dealt with." He hadn't thought about the investigation itself. Draco only cared about the objects, but now they had to find the person who'd created those objects. "We should talk. The more details I have, the better I can understand this person."

"As long as Dad says it's okay."

Harry nodded. "I'm not worried about procedures when it comes to this. As for the spade, leave it. I want Hermione to take a look at it. She was the only one who could figure out how to destroy the horcruxes. Maybe she'll take another crack at it. Unofficially. We can't have the Minister officially know about this."

"The paperwork would be terrible," Draco answered with a smirk. "All right, I guess that's it. I'm sorry to have bothered you during your party."

James snorted. "You've really given Dad the best birthday gift. Any excuse so he doesn't have to be reminded what's happening out there. Patrol and Obliviators must be going nuts trying to uphold the Statute of Secrecy."

"Nothing can be as bad as what I saw before coming here."

"Malfoy, were you outside mingling with common mortals?" Harry asked.

"As if I were that stupid," Draco answered with a roll of his eyes. "No, Scorpius, Al, Sophie and Lucy were getting ready for a party, a costume party. They even asked me to provide polyjuice, without mentioning what their costume was. They are going as young Harry Potter, thanks to Al's hair. My father was ready to hex them when he saw them."

Harry groaned. "Why? Tell me why?"

"No idea, Potter. I always knew that the Potter love was overrated, irrational and unjustified."

"Right, and for that, you get to stay for the rest of my party. I need someone who doesn't like me."

James laughed. "Dad, you're so strange."

**Prompt 60: Drink – Give Me Another**

Draco was once against surrounded by Weasleys, except that this time it was much worse, because Albus and Scorpius weren't here. In fact, with the exception of James, none of the younger generation was here. It was Draco and the people Draco and his family had tried to kill on numerous occasion. He needed a drink.

James must have read his mind, because he handed him a glass of white wine. "Trust me, better than getting drunk with the firewhiskey," James murmured.

"I wasn't planning on getting drunk," Draco answered.

"I've seen you go through that glass of firewhiskey like it was water, and you never drink, while Weasleys are known for their drinking." 

It wasn't a rebuke, but enough of a reminder that Draco had to smile. "Yes, Mother, I won't get drunk and embarrass you."

"Screw you." James' gaze moved from Draco. "Uncle Percy, Aunt Audrey, do you need a refill? I'm playing bartender."

"If you don't mind, Jamie," Audrey said with a smile.

"You can bring the entire bottle," Percy said. "I don't know why your mother insists on having this party when your father hates it."

"The joy of marriage, or at least that's what she said this morning," James said, laughing. "I'll be right back with that bottle."

Of all the Weasleys, Percy and Audrey were the ones Draco didn't mind, which he considered to be a very good omen for Lucy and Scorpius. Husband and wife were both members of the Wizengamot. She had gotten there by working at the Wizengamot Administrative Services, pushing for better defence rights, while Percy as a former Minister was appointed with an unanimous vote and Granger's blessing.

"I hear that old Urquhart is retiring. Any names for a possible replacement?" Draco asked.

"Why? Trying to get Scorpius on the Wizengamot?" Percy asked with a tiny smirk. "I hear he's taking your father's spot on the St. Mungo's and the Hogwarts boards"

"A little too soon for the Wizengamot," Draco said, chuckling.

"What's too soon for the Wizengamot," Jamie asked as he returned. He poured more wine into Audrey's glass and handed the bottle to Percy. "There you go. That should last you ten minutes or so."

"Very funny," Percy said.

"Your uncle was being the funny one, saying that I want Scorpius to get on the Wizengamot, which I don't." Draco was still surprised that Scorpius had gone from a career in the Ministry to wanting to handle the different family businesses.

"I must say that I was very impressed with Scorpius' decision not to work at the Ministry," Audrey said.

"Sure, we're all impressed with people who don't want to work," James answered with a snort.

"Nonsense. He had a very good explanation," Audrey said. "I didn't expect such maturity from someone this young."

Draco raised an eyebrow. He was still waiting for that explanation. "What exactly did he say?" Other than 'because I want to', which had been all that Draco had gotten out of Scorpius on the subject.

"He mentioned how busy you were when he was young with Gringotts and the Ministry."

Draco remembered those years. He had worked at all hours, not because he'd needed the money, but because he wanted to prove that he was worthy of being free, because he wanted to redeem the Malfoy name, because of this need to show that he could help.

"He mentioned how your wife was sick often and had family obligations as well. But after her passing, you were always with him when he wasn't in school. With Lucy working, he wants to be the kind of father you were, always present." She smiled as she recounted the story. "Lucy was very happy with the choice as well. I don't think she'd do well staying at home."

Draco stared for a moment, unable to speak. He knew how he and Scorpius had gotten close after Astoria's death, but he'd never realized what impact it had made on his son. James nudged him, and he forced himself to speak again. "Thank you for telling me. He's been less than forthcoming and I thought my father was pressuring him. It's a relief to know that it comes from a desire to be with his own children, although hopefully he'll wait a little while to have them."

James snorted. "Not if Lucy has anything to say about it."

"James Sirius Potter," Audrey started, "what do you know?"

"Nothing," he said in a singsong. "Except that she might have a deadline on that engagement. And you can't tell her that you know or she'll have my balls for lunch. She's vicious."

"Then you should learn to stay quiet," Draco said.

"But where's the fun in that?"

Draco didn't answer, because Harry called him and soon they were talking to Ron and Hermione about possible strategies to destroy these new horcruxes.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Changes  
** 3 August, 2025  
Prompt 77: What? – You're what? 

The past two weeks were marked by work, work and more work. Draco had barely seen James and when they had been together, they were discussing cases or sleeping out of sheer exhaustion. Tonight, Draco had decided to take a break, and after dinner he'd poured some cognac, put on some music and sat on an armchair, enjoying the classical sounds echoing in their music room.

The knock on the door was answered with a sigh. It was late and he couldn't imagine anyone in his household knocking unless there was a problem. "Yes?"

"May I come in?"

Draco opened his eyes and smiled at Scorpius. "Of course you may. And look, you have company, d'Artagnan and the three Musketeers."

"I want to be Athos," Albus said with a grin. "Do you know that Muggles read the books? They don't know that Dumas was a wizard."

"A squib to be technically, but I doubt you're here at this time of the night to talk about literature." Draco watched as they filed in and managed to squeeze on the couch, with Scorpius taking the arm rest. "What have you done? Actually, let's start with the important things. Is anyone hurt, hexed or otherwise dying?"

Lucy's eyes went wide. She might not speak about work, but she heard plenty as an Unspeakable and she also had seen the way Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron and James were suddenly working. Something bad was happening. "No, nothing like that. This is not bad."

"Unless you count our parents possibly killing us," Sophie added.

Scorpius glared at her and then turned to Draco. "Lucy is pregnant."

Draco stared, still waiting for the bad news. It couldn't be the pregnancy, because he'd checked that the Greengrass curse hadn't been inherited by Scorpius or Sophie, which meant neither could pass it on. With that out of the way, he wasn't sure what he was expecting, but when nothing came, he smiled. "Congratulations." He got up and went to hug Scorpius. 

His son got up warily, but soon hugged him back. "Thank you, Dad."

Draco pulled back and patted Scorpius' cheek. "You'll be an amazing father, Scorpius, and you-" He let go of his son and crouched in front of Lucy. "Welcome to the family."

Lucy smiled brightly. "Thank you. You're not upset, right? Scorpius worried-"

"I know we should have been more careful. You've always told me-"

"Both of you, stop it. I would have liked for you to have waited, since you're so young, but we all knew that you were going to get married sooner rather than later. This moves up the timeline, that's all." He stood up already thinking. "I'm guessing that this is recent, yes?" When both nodded, he started planning. "I'll speak with Mother in the morning. We can have the wedding here. If you can provide me a guest list, we'll have the invitations out by tomorrow evening. The house elves can take care of the menu, and when you pay enough, things move quickly. We can have the wedding in three, four weeks. Lucy won't have to worry about showing."

"Can we stop talking about them and deal with the real problem?" Sophie paused dramatically, making sure that she had her uncle's attention. "I'm pregnant too."

Albus winced at the pronouncement. "Do not kill me."

"She's not my daughter," Draco answered. "Blaise on the other hand…." He trailed off, before smiling. "I'm sure they will see how it's bad form to kill the father of their grandchild."

"We want to get married together," Scorpius said. "Do you think that would be a problem?"

"For me?" Draco shook his head. "For all the mothers involved? It might be. We're depriving the Weasleys of two separate weddings." He smirked at the thought, because he'd done enough events with them that payback would be sweet. "However, we can convince them, pointing out how there is a similar guest list and it makes sense to have it here since it's big enough to accommodate everyone."

He went back to his chair. Now that he wasn't worried about life and death and the practicalities were dealt with, he looked at the four. "Now, would one of you tell me how is it that both of you got your girlfriends pregnant at the same time when I know that you both know better?"

"You see-" Albus scratched his head.

"It was at the party. Well, after the party. It was really boring so we went to Grandma's villa in the Riviera," Sophie said.

"How is your grandmother? Married to number sixteen I believe," Draco said, smiling.

"Seventeen, and she wasn't there," Sophie said. "We were less than sober, and you know Grandma and her potions, and well- We think that there might have been some fertility potion."

Draco looked at how miserable his son looked. "Why do I feel like I'm still missing something?"

"We were drunk and we all thought that we were the greatest at potions and we decided to play who can identify the potion by its taste," Scorpius said, tensing when he saw the anger flash in Draco's face. "Sorry. Salazar, I'm so sorry, Dad. I know better."

"You could have been hurt, all of you. You don't know what she keeps there. Did you get checked by a healer?" he asked.

Lucy nodded. "We saw Lorcan. He called his supervisory healer to ensure that he hadn't miss anything. It's when we discovered that we're both pregnant. It's the only way we would find out so quickly."

"I also firecalled Grandma and asked if anything _lethal_ was missing, but she said that everything was accounted for, and besides she doesn't keep anything damaging out in the open," Sophie added.

"At least one person has some forethought," he said, sighing, before smiling. "Since you're all right, we can concentrate on the silver lining. The pregnancy is only three days old. No one needs to know that you are pregnant. Other than your parents."

"There's something else," Scorpius said.

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What now?"

"Lucy and I will be living here…."

"Where else would you live?" Draco asked confused. "This is Malfoy manor, all living Malfoys have always lived here. We have enough rooms-"

"No, Dad, I don't want to move out. That's not it. Thing is Aunt Daphne's home is bigger than Al's parents', but it still doesn't give them any privacy, so I… sort of told them they could stay here, with us."

"You have an entire floor to do as you wish. If you lot can survive on one floor with two children, that's up to you," Draco said, but was looking at Albus. "I thought your father was fixing Grimmauld Place for you."

"We talked about it, but we've never got around to doing anything, so it might take some time," Albus said, rubbing his thigh, something that he did when he wasn't being completely truthful.

"And?" Draco nudged.

"Oh can we just tell him? He'll find out anyway if we live here," Sophie said, before covering Lucy's hand with hers and grinning. "We have…uhm… should we say unusual relationship? All four of us, and we didn't think that anyone else would be as understanding as you, Uncle Draco."

"You four? You think I understand?" Then a horrible thought struck him. "Are we sure who are the fathers?"

"Dad!" "Draco!" "Uncle Draco!" they said at the same time.

"I'm sorry, you four just told me that you four had sex while being drunk and taking fertility potions, and you want to act indignant when I wonder if you know who the father is?" Draco didn't hex pregnant women, he didn't, but he might make an exception and hex all four of them.

"We have… rules about… vaginal penetration," Lucy started.

"Okay, stop. A simple 'yes' would have sufficed. I don't need nor do I want the details." Draco got up. "I'm going to bed, and I'll pretend that the last few minutes never happened. Tomorrow, you'll speak with your respective parents, skipping the foursome part, and if there's a problem, you'll let me know. Mother and I will deal with the invitations, decorations and all that nonsense. Do make a guest list, bridal party-"

"We'll be each other witnesses and avoid all of that," Albus said. "There's no other way to do it without insulting someone in the family."

"I'd still like to have Molly involved," Lucy said hesitantly.

"Then I have to ask Lily and Jamie," Albus rebutted. "No way I'm having him involved. Prick that he is, he'll make it about himself. No offence, Draco," he added after a heartbeat.

"None taken," he said with an amused smile. "You can continue this discussion without me. Good night." He was going to need sleep and possibly a memory charm to forget what he'd just learned about his son and his friends.

**Prompt 76: Who? - Midnight visits**

The sudden warmth of a body next to him made him smile in his sleep. Draco moved closer to James and put his arms around him without conscious thought. 

"You asleep?" James whispered.

"I was." Draco kissed James' shoulder. "This is a nice surprise."

"I missed you." James rolled until he was lying half on top of Draco.

"I need a few minutes to wake up," Draco said, still smiling.

"Nah, I'm too tired for sex. Fuck. I can't believe I just said that."

Draco chuckled. "Being an adult sucks." He kissed James again. "I'm still glad that you're here. What time is it?"

"Midnight. I just got off work. My boss is a neurotic tyrant with no appreciation for my sex life."

Draco snorted. "Your poor father really doesn't need to know about your sex life or that of your siblings."

"My poor father? Since when do you feel sympathy for Dad?" James asked amused.

"Since my son has decided to tell me that he, your brother, my niece and your cousin are in weird sexual relationship with rules about vaginal penetration, and- Sweet Merlin, you're blushing!"

"How can you tell! You still have your eyes closed," James said, trying to avoid the discussion, because of course he was blushing.

"Your body is about ten degrees warmer all of a sudden." Draco opened his eyes and grinning. "You're adorable."

"I'm not adorable; I'm fucking gorgeous. I just don't need to know about cunts. Regardless of their owners," he said, shivering.

"How horrible, I know. They are all wet and sticky and babies come out- Ouch, do not slap me. I was commiserating with you," Draco said, laughing.

"You were doing nothing of the sort, because you're an evil man."

"I'd be evil if I shared the information with your father, but you can't say anything. The only reason I told you is that sooner or later you'll hear something since they are getting married and all four will be living one floor down," Draco said.

"Who's pregnant?" James asked without hesitation.

"Both, but they are certain about the father," Draco added, feeling slightly better about the situation, now that he was talking about it with James.

"Oh good, because it'd have been hard to explain a green eyed, black haired Malfoy baby," James said, chuckling. "Do I want to know what happened? I can't imagine both of them getting pregnant at the same time by chance."

"Tomorrow. If they don't tell your parents what happened, I'll tell you. Now, I'd really like to sleep."

James snuggled even closer. "Sleep sounds good. Night, Draco."

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Wedding Day  
** 30 August, 2025  
Prompt 20: Colourless - Feelings 

Harry and Ginny joined Albus in one of the many bedrooms at Malfoy manor. This was very different than the many Weasley weddings. The Malfoys had needed less than a month to arrange a wedding with over two hundred guests and every little detail had been thought of. It missed the sense of chaos that all the other family weddings had, but it suited Albus.

"How do I look?" Albus asked as he finished to button his robe.

"Very handsome," Ginny answered. "Although I still don't understand why green."

"Because it looks good with my eyes and Sophie's and it matches Scorpius' robe. You know he wouldn't consider anything but green," Al said, laughing. 

"Befitting a Slytherin," Harry said, but the comment made Albus tense. "I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"Fine, let's just not start about houses, okay?" Albus turned to the mirror and fixed his collar. He looked up when he saw Harry's reflection.

"I'm not starting anything. You found your place in Slytherin. You have friends and now a beautiful wife. I'm happy for you," Harry said, squeezing Albus' shoulder. "There is something your mother and I want to give you."

Ginny presented a box and waited for Albus to open it. Inside there was a colourless crystal ball. "It's not much to look at, but it turns different colours, depending on the person's mood. It helped your father survive three pregnancies, because he's rubbish at telling what people are feeling."

Albus chuckled. "I don't think I'm that bad and Sophie has no problem telling me what she's feeling." He hugged his mother tightly, before hesitating a little until Harry pulled him into a hug. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Just remember that we're still your parents and we expect to have you and Sophie around," Ginny warned.

"As if I could ever avoid our family." Albus offered his mother his arm. "Let's go do this."

**Prompt 13: Yellow – My Light**

Draco watched as Scorpius finished getting ready. His baby was getting married and he'd be a father soon. Draco couldn't be happier. 

"What is it, Dad?" Scorpius asked.

"Your mother would be so proud of you," Draco said.

"Do you miss her?" Scorpius asked.

"Always. Why would you ask?"

Scorpius sat on one of the chairs. "It's becoming harder and harder to remember her. I have memories, things that we did together, times that she was sick, but- I'm not forgetting per se, but the memories and the emotions are becoming faded."

Draco pulled a chair closer and sat in front of Scorpius. "You remember her love and that's the only thing that matters, and when you have your child, then you'll understand what she felt for you. She gave her life to have the opportunity to have you and she never regretted it. I will always love her for her choice." He patted Scorpius' cheek. "I can't imagine my life without you."

"You're such a sap, Dad. If people only knew."

"My reputation would be destroyed," he said, chuckling, before becoming serious. "There is something that your mother wanted you to have." He reached into his pocket and from a velvet pouch he brought out a pendant, shaped like the sun. "I gave this to her when you were born, because you two were my light. It opens up and it has a picture of you and her. You can put one of Lucy and your child on the other side. Something to welcome Lucy into the family."

Scorpius closed his eyes. "Bloody hell, Dad, you'll make me cry."

Draco smiled. "Nonsense. Malfoys don't cry. We wouldn't want to be _saps_."

Scorpius chuckled. "Right, emotionless, that's us. Now let's see if we can make it through this ceremony without tears."

"Doubtful, but that's just your grandfather hexing the guests," he teased, getting up.

**Prompt 15: Blue – Something Blue**

"We could help you buy a house. You don't have to live here," Percy said while Audrey fixed Lucy's hair.

"Percy, enough. She's decided that she wants to stay here, and they have enough space," Audrey pointed out.

"It's Malfoy Manor," Percy whispered.

Lucy laughed. "Yes, it is and you don't have problems with Scorpius or Draco so-"

"Yes, but it's Malfoy Manor. Your grandfather-" He stopped and sighed. "Maybe you're right. Time to move past old differences. But if Lucius Malfoy does anything, you let me know and we'll have him in Azkaban in no time."

"Dad, the man is old, barely goes out in public and rarely speaks to anyone. I doubt he's plotting to take over the world." Lucy raised her dress as she turned around. "I think I'm ready."

"Not exactly. Molly, darling." Audrey extended a hand.

"Oh no, I get to do this," Molly said. "So apparently, Mom's family has this tradition, really old and really insane. It is blue and it is sort of a garter, with a spell to protect the bride's virtue." Both sisters giggled. "Let just say that Mom had to modify the spell already when I got married."

"Couldn't you just have stopped at the garter part?" Percy asked with a groan.

"Please, Dad, I'm pretty sure that we already know that she had sex, unless you think she's the Virgin Mary. And up with the dress so I can put it on you."

"I'm ignoring all this talk of sex and concentrating on the fact that my little girl looks beautiful and is about to get married," Percy said. "Are you ready, love?"

Lucy nodded. "I'll miss having you around all the time."

Audrey hugged her. "Don't worry, love. You can't get rid of this family even if you wanted to."

"We're like cockroaches," Molly said, laughing, as she left the room.

**Prompt 12: Orange – The Dagger**

"You look beautiful," Daphne said as she fixed Sophie's veil.

"She's our daughter. She couldn't look anything but." Blaise stared at his reflection in the mirror. "The real tragedy is that I see a grey hair."

Daphne giggled. "The tragedy. I don't know how we'll cope with that, my love."

"Spells?" Sophie said with a chuckle. "Dad, you're very handsome and I'm sure everyone will be looking at you."

"I don't know, Sophie. Uncle Draco might get jealous if someone else has the spotlight." 

"Merlin help us if anyone looks at the brides instead," Sophie joked.

"You two are terrible," Blaise said. "I don't know how you could even think that Draco is better looking than me."

Daphne laughed. "I'm glad that you're focusing on the important point."

"I can't possibly concentrate on anything else, or I might realise that my little girl is all grown up. That might make me sad and then there'd be wrinkles and do you really want me to have grey hair _and_ wrinkles? How terribly cruel of you."

Sophie went on her toes and kissed her father's cheek. "I'll be always your little girl, Dad. You don't have to get wrinkles."

"Thank you, my darling. The alternative was unthinkable."

"You do know that if anyone hears us, they'll think we're mad, yes? I bet there's lots of crying and hugging in the other rooms," Sophie said.

"So very plebeian. I'm truly disappointed in Draco, but speaking of strangeness. Mother wanted you to have a little something before the wedding."

Daphne groaned. "You're not actually giving it to her, are you?"

Blaise shrugged, before picking up an object wrapped in silk. He held it while Sophie unwrapped it.

"Grandma gave me a dagger on my wedding day?" she asked with a frown.

"She said something about being prepared. You know what a dagger does, but these three orange stones on the tilt? They contain untraceable poisons. In case you ever need it."

"Dad!" She started to laugh. "I am _not_ killing Albus. He's not that rich."

"Mother would say _that_ is reason enough to kill him."

Sophie laughed harder. "Stop it or I'll ruin my mascara. Still-" She shrugged and picked up the dagger. "Mum, could you help me put it in my garter?" There was some fixing required but then the dagger was firmly secured. "And with that, we're ready for a wedding."

**Prompt 19: White – The Reception**

The two couples moved together through the room, talking to their guests and taking the obligatory pictures. If anyone thought it strange that the brides were holding hands as much as each bride and groom, they didn't say.

"Here they come. Don't they look lovely?" Molly said as the four came near.

"Please, don't cry again, Mum," Ginny answered, before winking at Albus.

"Yes, Grandma. You should be happy. We're marrying all of us off," Albus said, grinning.

"Only your brother's left. Stubborn that one. I thought he'd marry right after Victoire." She shook her head, not bothering to hide her disappointment. "But that's not important right now. You girls look absolutely beautiful in those dresses."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Sophie spun around, showing off her dress. They had picked dresses that were similar. Rose called them Cinderella gowns, whatever a Cinderella was. Sophie had still not learned that. Her dress had emeralds sewn into her décolleté while Lucy's had rubies.

Molly closed her fingers around the girls' hands. "Now you listen to me. Don't you waste time with careers and all that rubbish. You start thinking about a family."

Albus snorted, but it was Lucy who answered first. "Grandma, we've already discussed it and we want a family. We'll be starting forthwith," she said with a straight face.

"Forthwith indeed. Draco likes that word," Albus put in, trying not to laugh.

"Mum, why don't we leave them to talk to the other guests?" Ginny said, locking one arm with her mother. "I saw these little chocolate baskets with cream inside. We should go try them."

"Oh yes, indeed. Those sound very good." Molly smiled at her grandchildren and their spouses. "I'll see you later."

**Prompt 18: Black – Grimmauld Place**

"Why are they moving into this house?"

Draco turned his head at the sudden question, but he had already recognised the voice. "You don't want to know, Potter."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to," Harry answered. "We went from renovating Grimmauld Place because 'it's a Black house and a Slytherin should live in it' to 'Dad, don't you worry about the house'."

Draco took a sip of the champagne, before chuckling. "No, Potter, you really don't want to know. Trust me." He put down the glass. "I promised that I won't say anything, but it's not anything bad and it has nothing to do with me, if that's your worry. "

"You didn't offer to buy Albus a house or some outlandish promise, because if I find out-"

"Potter, relax. I have never tried to be Albus' father."

"But they came to you first about the wedding."

"Scorpius and I are very close. There's no one else other than my parents. Everyone else has larger families to content with. That's all it is, Potter." Draco sighed. "You and your wife are more than welcome to come here any time you want once the baby is born."

"This house gives me the creeps," Harry muttered.

"I still can't go to the dungeon without a good reason and a healthy dose of firewhiskey," Draco admitted, "but I'm not letting _Voldemort_ dictate what I do and neither should you."

"I hate it when you make sense, but fine, keep his secret."

"You could ask him," Draco suggested.

"But I don't want to know?" Harry said.

Draco shook his head. "By Merlin, you really don't want to know."

"Fine, I'll go find my wife and ask her to dance."

Draco snorted. "I've seen you dance. Tell her good luck from me."

"Sod off, Malfoy." Harry left laughing.

**Prompt 16: Purple – Purple Sky**

Draco stepped into the balcony for some air. The great hall was full of people and torches and even though there were cooling spells, he felt the need to be away from everyone.

"Hiding?" James asked as he followed Draco and cast a _Confundo_ spell to ensure their privacy

"More like looking for some solitude," Draco admitted. "I don't like this cacophony of noises. It's too loud, too distracting and I like my house to be orderly and quiet."

"You'd better move then. Two children are about to move in permanently," James teased.

"They can stay with their parents and the house elves." Draco stepped away from the door in case anyone made it past the spell, and then pulled James closer. "I haven't seen you all day."

"The downside of being the father of the groom, but you can make it up to me now. Dance with me." They could hear the music from the open window and James put his arms around Draco. He pressed their cheeks together, their bodies fitting together with familiarity. "This is when I think about coming out."

Draco kissed James' jaw. "This is when I think how lucky I am to have you in my life. Look at the sky, Jamie. It's purple and beautiful, there's wonderful music in the air, and I have the best looking man in my arms. This isn't the time for doubts and regrets. They can wait for later."

James looked at Draco and smiled. "I don't say it enough, but I love you, Draco Malfoy, and I'm the lucky one."

"I love you, too, Jamie." They stood out there, foreheads together while another song played.

**Prompt 17: Brown - Firewhiskey**

"Do I need to worry?" Blaise said as the night winded down.

"About Albus' physical and mental health?" Draco teased. He asked the house elf to get them two glasses of firewhiskey from the bottle of Ogden 1998 that Blaise favoured. "Your daughter knows what she wants, Blaise and she wants Albus. She's happy with him."

"You get to see her more than I do." He took the glass and took a sip. "I hope you know that Daphne is planning on moving in with you when the baby is born."

"I would expect nothing different," he said in total honesty. "She's family and you've been a friend since we were children. You're both welcome here."

"Thank you, but I wasn't talking about them. I'm talking about you and Potter – James. They're multiplying so fast that we need first names now," he said shaking his head.

Draco laughed. "I shouldn't mention that your grandchild will be a Potter then."

"Shut up, before I hex you."

"I won't even mention that Pansy said that this is as close as you'll ever get to Ginny," he continued.

"Bitch," Blaise said, chuckling. "It was Sixth Year and she still can't let it go. I didn't even like her."

"Pansy has a long memory when she wants."

"And forgets when she has to do something," Blaise added.

"That's only when she doesn't want to do that particular something." Draco took another sip of the firewhiskey and looked at Blaise. "And you don't have to worry about me."

"You have a tendency to become obsessed with the Potters. First Harry, then you basically adopted Albus and now you're sleeping with James." Blaise sighed. "I won't even tell you to be careful, but if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."

"My drawing room?"

"Very possibly now that my daughter is living here," Blaise said, chuckling. "And look, Pansy beckons."

Draco chuckled when he saw Pansy trying to get their attention. "We'd better see what she wants or we'll never hear the end of it."

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Alone At Last  
** 1 September, 2025  
Prompt 41: Shapes – The Scars 

James and Draco were sprawled naked on Draco's bed. James had his head on Draco's stomach, trying to get Draco's attention away from the book he was reading. "Your parents are gone for a week. Scorpius, Lucy, Al and Sophie are on their honeymoon, I've taken time off from work, and we're here naked. Do you really need to read another book?"

Draco snorted, but didn't put the book away. "We were otherwise occupied not too long ago, and not for the first time today. I'm sorry to admit that at my age, I need breaks."

"Then, let's do something other than sex. We can sneak into the kitchen and get ice cream." He looked up at Draco and then started to laugh. "You're never going to walk naked through your own house, are you?"

"I certainly won't. Do you know how many portraits and house elves there are? I also don't see the need to go to the kitchen when a house elf can bring the ice cream to me."

James rolled his eyes. "Because that's boring. Okay, not the kitchen and not naked, how about-" He turned around and took Draco's book, putting it on the bed. "Let's fly. I know you happen to have a Quidditch set."

"We're a few players short," Draco pointed out.

"Who cares? Release the snitch, and we play one on one, no bludgers." James moved again, straddling Draco. His restless was apparent with each gesture he made. "I don't know how you don't go crazy, stuck in this house, always reading, barely going anywhere else, but if Quiddith is so horrible-" He leaned down and with his tongue, he traced the spider web lines on Draco's chest, before looking up with an innocent smile. "You can always tell me how you get these."

"You'll never let these scar go." Draco put his arms around James and kissed his forehead. "We can play Quidditch."

"Merlin, you'll do anything to avoid this conversation. How bad can it be?" James asked.

"It's not bad per se. It was sixth year. I tried to cast the _Cruciatus_ on a student. He cast a spell without knowing what it did and this was the result. Luckily for me, Severus was around and he healed the scars, which is why you can barely see them," Draco explained. "Most people don't know I have them, because they don't spend their time licking my chest and feeling the scars."

"Good thing too or I'd have to hex them." James wasn't stupid though and he knew that there had to be more to that story, if only because of Draco's reaction and his unwillingness to talk about it. "So, which one of my relatives did it?"

Draco ran his hand through James' messy hair and then his hand rested on the nape of James' neck. "Your father. It wasn't the first time we hurt each other. It was one of the last."

He was serious for a moment. "I'll never understand the hatred you two had for each other. I mean I never liked the Slytherins, but I never tried to actually kill one. Still, I'm glad you don't want to kill each other anymore. It'd be very awkward if we ever told him," he finished, laughing.

"You need to tell him, Jamie," Draco answered, not amused at all. "Not for me, but for you and for us, because secrets have a way of coming out, and it will be much worse if he doesn't find out from you." _Especially since your mother knows_ , he mentally added, but he'd promised not to say anything and he wouldn't piss off Ginny Weasley when it came to her son.

James rested his head against Draco's shoulder. "Do you know how many times Grandma asked me about children at the wedding? How can I say anything right now?"

"Don't tell your grandmother. It's not like your brother isn't keeping secrets from her. He didn't tell her about the baby and your parents backed him up. Just talk to your parents. Let them deal with the rest of the family." Draco ran a hand over James' back. "Think about it, something for another day. Now, we can play Quidditch if you want."

James raised his head and smiled brightly. "And ice cream later."

**Prompt 66: Rain – Afternoon Showers**

They were flying over the gardens at Malfoy manor with no sign of the snitch. James had no idea what the score was and he didn't care. He loved seeing Draco like this. His lover was flying without a care in the world. His long hair was tied in a loose ponytail, but random strands had escaped the leather thong, looking like silvery snakes as he cut through the air. His normally pale skin was flushed with exertion and the sun. His muscles were accentuated by the stress of flying. James had lost too many points, because he'd stopped playing to stare, but Draco looked gorgeous like this.

"Staring again, Potter?" Draco asked, laughing.

"Sure, get you on a broom and suddenly I'm Potter."

"Trust me, I can tell the difference," Draco answered, chuckling.

"Good, because Mum would be really pissed if you kissed Dad," James answered, before looking up when he felt a drop of water. Within moments the sun was obfuscated by dark clouds and the rain came pouring down. James went straight for the house, but it was a long way to go and by the time they reached an open window, they were soaked. "I can't believe it's raining."

"It's England. It's more surprising when it doesn't rain," Draco pointed out. "However right now your lack of awareness about our weather isn't our biggest problem." He pointed to the sky. "The snitch is still out there."

"No, no, no, I'm not going out there again until it stops raining."

Draco held his broom with a hand and wrapped his other arm around James. He nipped his lip, before pulling back with a smirk. "If you're too chicken to get wet, then I'll just have to get the snitch and win." Just like that, he mounted his broom and went back out.

"Oh, you…." James never finished that sentence, because he mounted his own broom and followed Draco outside. He could never let a Slytherin win a game, even when he was sleeping with said Slytherin.

**Prompt 52: Fire – Winding down**

They were sitting on a couch. James was leaning against Draco, while Draco had an arm around him. They had a glass of cognac each and there was music in the background, something that James had heard somewhere, something old, but that he couldn't name. Flames danced in the fireplace, warming them up from the afternoon rain.

"Today was perfect," James said with a dreamy look on his face.

"We can do it more often," Draco said, tentatively. "My parents wouldn't tell anyone if you were to spend more time here, and neither would anyone else."

"I know. Lucy told me that you warned them." James turned his head look at Draco. "I think I'd like to spend more time here if you don't mind."

"I mind when you don’t spend time here," Draco admitted, before sighing. "I didn't even know that I was lonely until you pushed yourself into my life. Or maybe I wasn't, at least when Scorpius was growing up, but now he's starting his own family. My parents have each other. It's nice to have you here."

"It'll be a year soon. A year that we've been together. You didn't think we'd last a date," James said, chuckling.

"I have been known to be wrong on occasion. Unfortunately, there's always a Potter around to prove it." He kissed James' temple. "Although this is one time when I don't mind." He took a sip of the cognac, listening to the music when another thought came to mind. "You should move in. Keep the cottage as a cover, but stay here."

James sat up and turned toward Draco. "Are you serious?"

"I don't see why not. You practically live here, but you sneak out in the morning before breakfast or wait until we're done with dinner to arrive, like you're not worthy of being part of my family, but you are," Draco said. "I love you, and I want to spend my life with you, and we can't do it if you're always hiding. I'm not saying tell your parents-"

"You have said that. Repeatedly," James put in with a snort.

"Well, yes, and I still think that you should, but for now, consider moving in."

"And keep the cottage for show." James thought for a moment, before grinning. "I've considered it. I can move in tomorrow."

Draco chuckled. "Of course you have and of course you can. My rash Gryffindor."

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: A Night Out  
** 21 September, 2025  
Prompt 78: Where? – Where are you going? 

Complete silence descended over the drawing room as Draco stepped inside. "Was it something I said?"

Scorpius and Albus exchanged looks, before turning to their wives who seemed at a loss for words. Something unheard of for the four of them.

"You're wearing Muggle clothes," Sophie finally said.

"Yes, blasted things, but I told Jamie we could go out, be around people."

"And the prat still hasn't come out," Albus finished.

"Yes, well, that's not my biggest concern at the moment. Does anyone know how to knot this thing?" he asked, waving a tie around.

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked.

"Dinner and something called a cinema." Draco had barely paid attention once the word 'Muggle' had become part of the conversation, because he knew that he'd have no opinion on the location or the film. He'd never _seen_ a film before now, therefore his ignorance was justified.

"You might be a little overdressed," Lucy said diplomatically while she looked at the austere pinstripe suit with a waistcoat, white shirt and pocket watch. "This is what you'd wear for a business meeting. You don't exactly look like Jamie does when he goes out to the Muggle world."

"I don't look like Jamie does when he wears a robe," Draco pointed out. "Still, I see your point, but unfortunately I'm currently wearing all my Muggle clothes."

Lucy smiled. "Come with me. We can raid Scorpius' closet."

Draco looked beyond Lucy's shoulder to his son. "Why do you have Muggle clothes?"

"Rose lives in a Muggle area. I think her mother picked it to force anyone visiting her to wear Muggle clothes," Scorpius answered, scrunching his nose.

"And yet, it will prove very useful. Follow me."

**Prompt 85: She - Daughter-in-Law**

Draco stood rather awkwardly in his son's bedroom. Despite the fact that Lucy had spent plenty of time at the manor before getting married, Draco had always seen her as an attachment to her son. Even now that they were married, he'd never really had a private conversation with her, and certainly not in her bedroom.

"Something wrong?" Lucy asked as she brought out some shirts and looked them over for size and style.

"I was just thinking that we've never really talked," Draco answered.

"Of course we talk. We always talk," Lucy said, putting away what she had and looking for something else. 

"No, we talk when you're with the rest of them. We never talk alone, something that we should correct." He leaned against the dresser, letting her worry about the clothes. "I don't want the same type of cold detachment that my parents had with Astoria."

Lucy turned and smiled. "We won't. I know it's strange, what we have with Albus and Sophie. It's even weirder considering that she's your niece and he was Scorpius' friend long before I was in the picture, but I think we're friends, aren't we? We talk about personal things. We discuss politics. Maybe having Al and Sophie around makes it look like we don't talk, but we do."

"This thing with Al and Sophie. You know it won't be the same when you have children, do you not?" Draco asked.

"Probably, but we're not going to worry, because what keeps us together isn't the sex, but the friendship." She handed him a few hangers. "You can change in the bathroom. It's still more formal than most people would wear, but I can't see you in jeans. You can keep your shoes, change everything else."

Draco almost made a joke about underwear, but she wasn't Jamie, and he stayed quiet, walking to the en suite to change. When he came out, he opened his arms, showing off what she had picked. "Better?"

"Here, let me open these two buttons. Leave it open and you won't need a tie." She looked at him and grinned. "There, you look perfect now." He offered her an arm to escort her back downstairs and she took it easily. "And Draco, if you ever need help, I'm here. We're family now."

Draco squeezed her hand. "Thank you."

**Prompt 84: He - Step-father?**

"Could you stop talking, Jamie?" Al got up from the couch and went to pour himself a glass of wine. 

"I can do whatever I want," James answered.

"Bloody hell, I can't listen to you two," Scorpius said. "It's been a grand total of a week since we've been back from our honeymoon and when you two are home, you're always bickering. This is worse than being back in school."

"He didn't have to move in, did he?" Albus answered, gesturing toward his brother. "We were perfectly fine before he decided that he'd live here, and he's still too chicken shit to tell our parents, because 'oh Jamie would never'. He's the perfect son, the great chaser, the Auror, the light of daddy's life, how could he disappoint them by sucking dick."

Scorpius was up just as James pulled out his wand. "Put that thing down," he hissed. "This is _my_ house and I'm done tolerating this crap."

"This is Draco's hou-"

"Shut up, Jamie, and you too, Albus. I don't care how you do it, but you have to find a way to get along, because this is where the Malfoys live and like it or not, both of you are important to us." He stared at Jamie. "Albus is my best friend, the best man at my wedding, soon enough the godfather to my son. He is family. He's not going anywhere and you need to find a way to accept this." He turned to face Albus. "And my father has chosen Jamie. Would he have been my first choice? Of course not. He's such a… Gryffindor, but he is my father's choice, which means-"

"He's your step-father?" Sophie said with a grin.

Scorpius rolled his eyes at his cousin, but thankful for her attempts at defusing the situation. "That he's not going anywhere either. So find a way to get along or by Merlin's hat, I'll ask my grandfather to deal with you."

Albus moved closer and put an arm around his friend while grinning. "You wouldn't do that, because you love me. You would totally do it to him."

Scorpius' expression softened as he leaned into Albus. "Fine, I'm not going to do it to either one of you, because-"

"He's your step-father."

"Sophie, stop saying that," Scorpius said over Albus' laughter.

"What are we not saying?" Draco asked as he stepped inside, not even blinking at the way Albus and Scorpius were standing. He'd gotten used to seeing them close before finding out about their little arrangements. Lucy went to the couch to join Sophie, and James-

James was staring at Draco, having forgotten that the rest of the world existed and taking in every detail. Draco was wearing navy blue suit with a slim fit that showed off his slender body. The lighter blue shirt brought out the colour of his eyes. His shoes and belt were the same shade of reddish-brown. His hair had been neatly tied into a ponytail. He was wearing a gold wrist watch on his left write and a ring with the Malfoy crest on his right hand and the entire ensemble was making James drool.

Draco stared back, barely remembering his own question when he saw the lust in James' face. He raised an eyebrow in response and before he could say more, James was right there, kissing him like he was the only source of air. "You like, then?" he asked when James pulled back.

"Fuck yeah." James kissed Draco again with a big grin still on his face.

"Eww, could you two get a room?" Albus said.

"Stop acting like such a teenager," Draco said with a snort.

"Too bad we are actually teenagers," Sophie said, laughing. "Not twenty for another few months."

"And apparently twenty is the magic date when one is an adult and can be fucked. Right, Jamie?" Albus said sweetly.

Scorpius smacked Albus' leg. "Let them be. Father, you look very handsome, but if you don't take Jamie out, you'll never see the film."

Draco didn't know what was wrong with that idea, but then he remembered how much James had wanted to go out. "Fine, we're leaving."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Albus said.

Draco snorted. "I'm afraid that I'm not quite as adventurous. Ladies and gentlemen, and I use the terms quite loosely, let my parents know that we won't be here for dinner and have a good night."

**Prompt 40: Sight – The Film**

James had pondered the choice of film to see. He would have liked a superhero or action film, but he decided that there was too much that he'd have to explain to Draco, too much that he wouldn't know or understand and making him feel stupid wasn't the best way to encourage Draco to explore the Muggle world. Instead he settled on a drama that dealt mostly with relationships, including one between a gay couple.

The film had been out for a few weeks and the theatre was almost empty. James picked two seats in the very last row, away from everyone, to avoid disturbing anyone when the inevitable questions about Muggles would come up, and they did. Somewhere around the first half hour of the movie, he'd pulled up the arm rest and leaned against Draco, to better explain things of course. By the middle of the film, he had Draco's arm around him, a bucket of popcorn on his lap and a big smile on his face.

"You're not paying attention," Draco whispered, before casting a privacy spell

James turned his head to look at Draco and he was just so close that it was impossible to stop from kissing his jaw. "I am… When you ask questions. Are you enjoying it?"

"Mmm, I'm not sure. It's not very different from the WWN programmes. A little too… melodramatic, perhaps," he said, not sure why people were still arguing about who was with whom and why. "They all sound like overemotional Gryffindors."

James chuckled. "They do."

"I guess I've found the perfect reason to avoid Muggles. They are all Gryffindors," Draco teased.

"I'll pick something different next time, something with more scheming to prove you wrong," James answered, before eating more popcorn.

"I can't believe you're still eating that thing. I don't think it qualifies as popcorn with that liquid butter you put on top," he said, making a face. "It certainly doesn't taste like any butter I've ever eaten. Also we had dinner before coming here."

James shrugged. "I'm a growing boy and this tastes good."

"If you say so. Now do shut up. I want to know if at least this Muggle growing boy has the balls to tell his parents that he's gay," Draco said.

"All references to present company are purely coincidental and no identification with actual persons is intended or should be inferred," James answered with a grin.

Draco looked at James with a frown. "I'm sure that's funny to you, but I have no idea why."

"It's something that they put at the end of the film to avoid being sued. Forget it, it's not important." James could pick his battles when it came to teaching Draco about the Muggle world and films disclaimers weren't high on his list of things Draco should know.

Draco kissed James back, tasting the fake better on his lips. "All references were intentional. Now watch the film and learn how you can come out."

**Prompt 38: Touch – Being Adventurous**

James followed Draco inside the gents' restroom. There was another man inside, washing his hands. James went inside a stall but left the door ajar. When he saw that they were alone, he opened it fully. "Come here."

Draco zipped up his trousers and faced James with a very confused look on his face. "What are you doing? Is that some magic mode of transportation?" Why the Ministry always ended up using toilets was one of their greatest mysteries of life.

"Come here and I'll show you."

As soon as Draco got closer, James grabbed him by the arm to pull him inside and then closed the door. Pressing Draco against the side of the stall, James kissed him. "Fuck… I've been waiting to do this all night." His fingers curled around Draco's hips while he pressed their bodies together. 

"You can't be serious," Draco said, breathless.

James raised his eyebrows. "Can't I?" He answered his own question by kissing Draco again, while he unbuttoned Draco's trousers. He didn't give Draco the time to think. His fingers closed around Draco's cock and began stroking him, while he rutted against Draco's hip, his cock straining inside his jeans.

He bit Draco's lobe, before whispering in his ear. "I want to fuck you. I want to see you come undone here, knowing that people could walking in on us." James smiled when he heard the gasp from Draco.

"James- This is-"

"Turn around." They stared at each other for a moment, a silent battle of the will, but James could tell the moment he won. He pulled back enough that Draco could turn around. The trousers were pushed down, followed by the underwear. 

Draco was the picture of sin, hands pressed against the stall, the jacket skewed over a shirt that went past it, the trousers down to the floor. A spell made things easier, but James pressed two fingers inside Draco, rough and quick. "So fucking hot like this, ready for me, willing to take me while surrounded by Muggles."

James opened his jeans, pushed them far enough that he could pull his cock out comfortably and then he didn’t wait anytime. The head of his cock pressed fat and needy against Draco's hole, fighting the tight ring of muscle, making them both moan as he breached Draco's body, pushing slowly in until their bodies were pressed against each other. 

"Fuck… you feel so good," James whispered, before setting a merciless tempo, in and out, hips pistoning like this was a race, fingers gripping a hip so hard that there'd be bruises. Reaching around Draco, James began to fist him. This was fast and dirty, and deliciously dangerous.

"Jamie… Merlin…."

James changed angle and snapped his hips, feeling Draco shudder and his moans echoed in the empty restroom. He kept thrusting in, hitting that same spot that made Draco gasp and curse until-

Bang!

The door slapped open and James put a hand over Draco's mouth. He could have put a privacy spell up, but this was so much better. "Shhh," he said softly while his hips slowed into a gentle rocking, in and out, dragging the head over Draco's prostate and relishing the way that Draco tightened around him.

James could hear noises from outside, someone pissing, voices from more than one person, some jokes, but he didn't stop, enjoying the way Draco was coming apart in his arms while trying to stay quiet. His eyes were shut close as if trying to hide from the world, he was biting his lip, trying not to make noise and yet he pressed back, meeting James' hips, never trying to slow down.

More noise, more movements outside and then they were alone again. James laced his fingers with Draco, their hands pressed against the stall as he rocked his hips faster and faster. 

"Jamie… I need… need more." Fingers closed around his prick, jerking him off. It took a few pulls and then Draco came, strings of come spraying against the wall and James' hand.

James gripped Draco's hips, using the leverage to go fast, brutally so, skin slapping against skin until a moan accompanied his orgasm. He slumped against Draco, kissing him between panted breaths. "Best fucking film."

"I'll let you know when I can breathe again." Draco's chest heaved with the effort. "I can't believe we did that. They could have seen us."

James grinned. "Nothing a few spells wouldn't solve."

"I'm a mess and this is Scorpius' suit." As much as he was complaining, Draco wasn't moving, happy with the weight of James' body against his.

"Nothing that a few spells won't solve," James repeated with a grin. He pulled back and cast a few cleaning charms. Dressing quickly, he opened the door to make sure there wasn't anyone and then they both come out.

Despite the cleaning spells, Draco went for the sink and washed his hands. He looked at James' reflection in the mirror and shook his head.

"What?" James asked.

"Most times I forget your age, your name, your house and your reputation for causing mischief in school, and then there's a night like tonight to remind me." 

James put his arms around Draco and kissed his neck. "Is that a good thing?"

"It's a very good thing. I've never- I couldn't even imagine doing something like this, so public. In the loo." He shivered at his own words.

"But it was bloody fun," James answered with a grin.

Draco chuckled. "You're something else, James Sirius Potter." He turned off the water and turned around. He pressed their lips together in a caste kiss. "And I wouldn't want you in any other way."

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Invitation  
** 3 October, 2025  
Prompt 54: Air – Owl Post 

Draco had received the invitation that afternoon. He'd put it aside and ignored it while he worked. Dinner came and went and he still hadn't decided what to do or how to respond. Now, he was alone with James in the drawing room and took out the letter again. 

"Something wrong? You've been quiet all evening," James asked.

"Not bad per se, but-" Draco sighed. "I've got an invitation. To your parents' anniversary party at their house."

"Okay?" James said with a frown. "Is there anything else? Because I'm not seeing the problem here."

"You don't see the problem." Draco shook his head. "Jamie, love, your mother is sending me an invitation to her anniversary party, one limited to family. Don't you think it's strange?"

James shrugged. "Not really. You're family. Sort of. Lucy and Scorpius. Albus lives here."

"You don't see her inviting my parents, do you?" Draco answered with a huff.

"Long history there." James went to the couch that Draco was occupying and straddled him. "You're being too much of a Slytherin, suspecting things that exist only in your mind."

Draco wanted to shake James, wanted to tell him what his mother knew, but he knew that he couldn't push him into making this decision, no matter how much he wanted to, however he could try and steer him in the right direction. "Or maybe she sees more than you think she does." He ran his fingers over James' thighs, around him until his arms were wrapped around his lover, keeping him there while they talked, since James had the bad habit to move away when they discussed coming out. "Mothers have a way of knowing things even when you don't tell them."

"Mum would never think- She couldn't- She's a Weasley, she'd never thinking that anyone is gay," James said.

Draco's head lolled backwards as he banged it against the backrest. "You can't be that stupid or naïve. You can't. Your mother is a Weasley, not some sort of medieval nun with no idea of what happens in the world. The woman played in the league and do you know the sort of things that goes on there?"

"That was ages ago. They didn't-"

"What? They didn't have sex? They didn't have gay people? Because I'm proof that your generation didn't come up with gay people. Bleeding hell, Dumbledore was gay and the man was born in the nineteen century." Draco sighed exasperated. "Even if your very self-centred analysis of the world were correct, which isn't, she's been reporting on the league for as long as you've been alive. Don't you think that she's heard plenty? She's not an idiot, Jamie and she's sending me a bloody invitation. Put two and two together and just fucking tell her."

James got off from Draco, pacing like a caged animal. "You said that you wouldn't pressure me."

"Salazar's balls, you're thick." Draco got up as well, but didn't get close, because James looked ready to bolt. "I'm not pressuring you. I've kept your secret for four years, but more and more people know and now it's rather evident that she suspects something. Do you really want them to find out some other way?" 

"She knows nothing. This is all in your head, because you want me to come out."

Draco threw his arms in the air. "Fine, it's all my fault. I'm going to bed." He wasn't surprised when James went back to the cottage for the night.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: The Attack  
** 17 October, 2025  
Prompt 78: Where? – Where's Jamie? 

"Where's Jamie?" Sophie asked.

Draco glared at her, but he wasn't angry with her. He was pissed off at James who was currently nowhere to be found. He and James had been bickering for the past two weeks. It wasn't even a proper argument, but a constant snapping at each other without touching the subject of the party or coming out. He'd half considered not showing up at the party, but he'd already RSVPed and he didn't feel like explaining to Potter and his wife why he'd changed his mind. However, he hadn't expected to be at this party with his son, Albus, their lovely wives, but no James and no word on where he was. 

"I'm going to kill him," he muttered. 

Albus snorted. "Welcome to Jamie's world. Lesson number one: everything is about Jamie, therefore he must make a grand entrance."

"Lesson number two: if there is an occasion that takes the spotlight away, Jamie will do something to bring the attention back on him," Scorpius continued with a smirk. "I might have heard this once or twice. Mostly on Al's birthday."

"Because he _always_ did something so that the school would be talking about him on my birthday," Al said. "And he's done it at plenty of family parties. Weddings are the only things he won't mess with, because Grandma would kill him otherwise."

"Weddings and Mum's parties," Lucy put in, chuckling. "She hexed him when he was still little. Gave him donkey's ears and tail for a whole month and no one knew how to turn him back. Told him that if he acted like an arse he should look like one too. When she took them away, she told him that next time he'd have them permanently. Scarred him for life."

"More people should do it. Maybe he'd stop, but Mum and Dad would never, so let's see what he does tonight," Albus said.

"He wouldn't." Draco's statement was met by snorts and laughter. "I would hope that he knows better. Okay, stop laughing, all of you."

Lucy squeezed Draco's hand. "It's just that… it's Jamie. I bet he's somewhere orchestrating something as we speak, unless you know where he is."

Draco frowned and then shook his head. "But then it's not like he tells me where he is most days. He works; I don't keep tabs on him."

"Yes, but this is Mum and Dad's anniversary."

Albus saw this as proof, but anger was turning into concern the more they talked. Draco couldn't imagine that Jamie would do something stupid after their discussion.

"Here, we go," Albus said when there was a knock. "I wager a galleon that it's something to do with him."

"One day he'll surprise and he won't do anything special," Sophie said.

"You don't know my brother."

Draco ignored the conversation, more interested in what was happening at the front door. There were too many people in the room and he couldn't get a good view of who was there, but he'd recognized the Auror robes. Whatever this was, it was serious if they were bothering the Head Auror on a Saturday night at his anniversary party.

When Ginny joined Harry at the door, Draco felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but if they included her, it was personal and not work and the way Harry held her was a sign that this wasn't good news. "Something happened."

"It's probably one of his pranks," Albus said.

Draco shook his head. That feeling was getting worse and turned into pure fear when Harry turned and locked eyes with him. He crossed the room, ignoring the fact that everyone was paying attention. "Potter?"

"Jamie was attacked. The person used Dark spells. We'll need your-"

"Where is he? Is he all right?" Draco asked.

"St. Mungo's," Ginny said. "He's with the healers. We need to go now." 

**Prompt 71: Broken – Back to St. Mungo's**

The entire Weasley clan was currently standing inside the room reserved for Aurors and Hit Wizards. With the lack of Dark wizards around, the room had gotten smaller and smaller with each passing year. There were only six beds now and five of them were unoccupied, used by the different Weasleys to sit.

Draco has chosen a spot as far away from James' bed as possible, because if he got too close, he wouldn't be able to hide what he was feeling. Scorpius, Lucy and Sophie were keeping him company, while Albus kept going back and forth to the bed without really speaking to his brother. 

Not that James was talking to anyone. In fact, he wasn't doing much of anything. He was lying on his bed, his head turned toward the wall, ignoring everyone present. The numerous questions had gone unanswered, until Fred came into the room with a healer. "This is Healer Wilkins, he's in charge of Jamie's care," he said, before nudging the man forward. "Go on, tell us what's wrong with him."

Healer Wilkins looked around, clearly uncomfortable with the number of people in the room, but with James not talking and Harry not sending anyone out, there was little he could do. He kept his eyes on Harry, the awe very clear on his face. "Your son was hit with multiple hexes, including one that caused one lung to collapse and another that caused internal bleeding. We have managed to take care of those. There are also minor injuries that we've treated. Our biggest problems are his magic and his speech. He hasn't spoken since he was injured and from what we can tell he's been turned into a Squib."

The pronouncement was met with a gasp from too many of the people present. 

"But he'll be all right," Ginny asked.

"Yes, of course," the Healer said. "He'll just have to move to the Muggle world and live his life there."

The indifference and easy dismissal of both Ginny and James' situation enraged Draco. "Nonsense," he said, loudly as he stepped forward. "If it's a hex, it can be broken."

"Mr. Malfoy." At least the Healer was smart enough to know who Draco was. "I understand your family is on the board, but… you're not qualified to make this diagnosis. You're not a Healer."

"No, but I reckon I'm much better than you when it comes to the Dark Arts. When's the last time St. Mungo's deal with a Dark spell? You probably don't know, but I do. It was 2003, and it was the result of one of McNair's spells. That was twenty-two years ago. When was the last time you personally deal with a Dark spell? I'd wager 'never', therefore do not tell me that I'm not qualified. I've got a bloody mark to prove it." 

The Healer stepped back, fear covering his face. Draco should feel ashamed, but instead, he felt pride that people still feared him, especially when these fools could be faced with a lot more injuries caused by the Dark Arts. 

"Malfoy," Harry said with a sigh.

"What? You know I'm right."

"There is no indication that this was caused by a Dark spell," Wilkins said, keeping his eyes on Harry. 

Draco snorted as he moved past the Healer and stood next to the bed. "Yes, because people just lose their magic on their own." He _Accioed_ a chair and sat right in James' line of sight. "These fools are never going to find a cure and neither will I if you don't talk to me."

"I told you he can't-"

"Shut the bloody hell up," Draco said, glaring at the man. He had no patience right now. 

"Mr. Potter, I must object to this. We have treated your son properly and there's no sign of Dark magic," Wilkins said.

"Malfoy is right; it's the Dark Arts," Harry said. "You might want to start researching."

Draco smiled smugly, before focusing on James again. "Jamie, was it Dark magic, yes or no?"

For the first time since they arrived, James made eye contact. "Yes." His voice was hoarse and devoted of any emotions. "I'm a Squib."

"Oh Jamie," Ginny squeezed his head. "Jamie, love, we need you to talk to the Healers so that they can cure you."

James's eyes stayed on Draco and Draco smiled. "You're not a Squib. You were hexed, and every hex has a counter-curse. I just have to find it, but I can't without your help. I need to know what happen. It'd probably be best if we put your memory in a pensieve."

"No can do. I've got no magic. I can't cast the spell," James said, smiling, but his eyes were shiny with unshed tears. "I'm nothing more than a Muggle."

Draco sighed. "You're not a Squib or a Muggle, and I'm sorry for suggesting the pensieve. I can use legilimency to see what happened. It would help me."

James shook his head. "I just want to go home." He turned to his parents. "Can I come to your place? I can't go home, can't even get inside without my wand."

Harry ruffled his hair. "Of course, you can come home. You can stay until Malfoy finds a cure."

"Stop it, Dad. I can't listen to this. The Healers have already said that I can't do magic. I don't want-"

"Hope?" Draco asked. "You don't have it, not from me, because I'm not some bloody Gryffindor. I'm telling you that I will fix this, because I'm bloody good."

"Malfoy-" Harry stared at the other man. "Not now. Let's give him a day or two. You can come over the house and use legilimency."

"Dad, I don't want to-"

"We'll see what you want in a day or two," Harry said, patiently. "For now, let's get you home."

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Visiting the Potters  
** 19 October, 2025  
Prompt 24: Family – On Shaky Grounds 

It was Sunday and Albus was running out of excuses why he couldn't go to Godric's Hollow. It wasn't that he didn't want to go to see his parents, but that he didn't know what to say. He and James bickered constantly and he couldn't remember a day when they'd gotten along. He didn't know how his presence could make things better, but Sophie had bribed and insisted and mentioned that it was proper and finally she outright threatened to withhold sex if they didn't go. Albus knew when he'd lost.

Now sitting at the kitchen table in his parents' home, he felt even more out of place than normally and kept staring at the cup of tea that he was holding for dear life.

"And he hasn't said a word?" Sophie asked.

"Not since he spoke to Mal- Draco," Ginny answered. "He doesn't want to see anyone. He'll pretend to be asleep any time someone has gone in his room."

"We should probably go home then and leave him alone," Albus suggested.

Sophie kept looking at Ginny, but her hand reached out and gripped Albus' wrist. "Or maybe we should stay and see if he'll talk to Albus. I mean, they simply can't help themselves and have to snap at each other. It's not exactly talking, but it'd be a start."

Harry laughed. "I've never wished to hear them argue. In fact, I've spent plenty of summers wishing for them to stop talking to each other, but if it work-" He looked at Albus. "See if he answers you. Please?"

Albus sighed. "Fine, but I don't know why we're bothering. He can't stand me and there's only one person who can knock some sense into him. At least most times."

"And who would that be?" Harry asked.

"Not me, Dad. Not me." Off he went to spend the next fifteen minutes talking to his brother while James pretended to be asleep.

**Prompt 22: Enemies – New Understandings**

Draco was filled by a web of negative emotions: anger, fear, sadness- to name a few. Even research, something that usually made him happy, failed to give him some respite. He knew that nothing would help until he saw James.

The news from Albus and Sophie weren't encouraging, but he would not hide his head in the sand like James was doing. After lunch, he Apparated to Godric's Hollow and visited the Potters. "I'm here to see James," he said as he walked into the house.

"Nice to see you, too, Malfoy," Harry said, stepping aside to let the other man pass, before closing the door.

"I doubt it's _nice_ for either one of us. I'm going to find a cure and I will go into his mind to see what happened. If you have a problem with that, tell me now."

Harry shook his head. "If you can get him to talk as well, Ginny and I would appreciate it. He only talks to you."

Draco smirked. "Perhaps because you're not known for your verbal skills, and now if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to your son."

"Malfoy, I'm not the enemy here." Harry began walking toward James' room, forcing Draco to follow him. "Ginny and I will do everything we can to make him better, and not just physically and if you are the one to help, then we'll support you."

Draco stared at the other man, wondering his wife had told him anything, but then dismissed it, because Gryffindors kept their words and he didn't think Harry was able to keep this kind of secret. "I'll do what I can," he finally said.

**Prompt 23: Lovers- Tough Times**

Draco knocked on the door and stepped inside. "I would have waited for a reply, but I was told that you aren't talking. I was also told that you're spending your time pretending to be asleep, and even if I hadn't been told, I've spend enough nights with you to know when you're sleeping, so you can stop pretending at any time."

James opened his eyes and sat up. "What are you doing here?"

"And he speaks!" Draco cast a privacy spell around them. 

"We don't need that."

"Oh we do," Draco said. "I'm angry and tired and furious and you don't want your parents to hear me."

"Why exactly are you feeling like that? Nothing has happened to you. You still have your magic. You can go home and do- anything, while I can't even turn on the water without asking my mother. Maybe the reason I haven't done anything is because I can't do anything. Everything requires bloody magic in here and I have to ask someone for everything," James said.

"And that makes you angry, and that's good. It's supposed to make you angry, but that doesn't mean you bloody give up." Draco sat on the bed. "You need to fight this."

"How can I fight with no magic?" James asked.

Draco wrapped his arms around James. "You've lost your magic, not your brain." He pulled back and kissed him gently, but instead of responding, James pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do this, Draco. We can't do this. I know you think you'll fix it, but there's no guarantee. The Healers are pretty sure that it's permanent, and if they are right, I can't stay in the wizarding world. I can't do anything. I need to go to the Muggle world-"

Draco's heart broke at the waves of misery coming off from James, but a small part of him was glad to see some emotions. Anything was better than the numbness that seemed to permeate around James. "Jamie, I will find a cure."

"Yeah? Like you found it for your wife?"

Draco stiffened. "You're out of line."

"And you've overstayed your welcome," James said, coldly. "We're done."

Legilimency was as personal as the person casting the spell. Draco had experienced the brutal force of his aunt's attacks, the arrogant intrusion of the Dark Lord, the seductive web of Dumbledore and the sneaky attempts from Snape. He always went for stealth, moving silently inside a person's mind. 

Draco stared at James long enough to cast the spell wandlessly and wordlessly before searching for the evening of the attack. He watched everything, took in every details and then pulled out just as gently. He would not intrude on James' private thoughts, not when they were both angry. "I'll come back with a cure." With that, he left the room.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Dealing With Life  
** 23 October, 2025  
Prompt 27: Parents – Unconditional Love 

Ginny grew curious when she heard noises from James' room. Her son hadn't made a sound since coming back from St. Mungo's. She went upstairs and opened the door to see what was happening. She'd given up on knocking when it'd become apparent that James wouldn't answer.

Curiosity turned into fear when she saw that James was packing. "What are you doing? And do not pretend that you can't hear or speak to me."

"I'm leaving." His voice was hoarse from lack of speaking, or maybe from the emotions that he was trying to push away. "I'm going to Gringotts, change my money into Muggle currency and see what I can do."

Ginny moved closer and took the bag away from him. "You're not going anywhere. I understand that this is hard for you." She pressed her hand on his cheek. "You've always been our perfect boy, the golden child. Everything has come easy-"

"That's what you think, Mum?" James asked. "You and dad keep saying that, but things haven't come easy. I've worked my arse off to be that golden child. I've studied in the middle of the night to have as many OWLs and NEWTs as Uncle Percy and Uncle Bill, because I couldn't do it during the day. I was busy then because I had to be the great Quidditch player like you and Dad and Uncle Charlie, and when I wasn't training, I was being the prankster and the fun guy like Uncle George and the two men whose names I carry. I worked day and night to be that perfect and to make it look effortless and what did I get? I get dismissed, because everything is easy for me. Even worse, no matter how much I try I'm not perfect and I mess up."

"Oh baby." Ginny wiped his tears with her thumb. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry if you thought that we wanted you to be perfect. The only thing we ever wanted was for you and your siblings was to be happy."

She gripped his wrist with one hand, while she cleared the bed with the other, not wanting to use magic in front of him unless she had to. "Here, let's sit down." Her voice was gentle, but brook no arguments.

Her boy was bigger than she was, but she put an arm around him and pulled him closer like when he was a little boy and he'd gotten hurt, tears falling down his face and trying to pretend that he wasn't crying, much like now. "Love, you've been as close to perfect as we could ever want, but perfection doesn't exist and we never expected it from any of you."

"How can you say that, Mum? It's always Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. Jamie should do this, Jamie should do that, and I've fucked it up. I couldn’t even stop that wizard and I-"

"Hold it right there. Do you think any of us thinks less of you because you didn't stop that man?" Ginny asked confused.

"Dad would have," James muttered.

"Your father didn't and wouldn't have, at least not alone. You tried to go after a Dark wizard on your own and you what? Expected to take him down on your first go?" Ginny asked. "Baby, your father faced Voldemort for seven years and he never did it alone. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were always by his side, and they weren't the only ones either. He had the Dumbledore's Army, the Order and most of Hogwarts by the end."

She kissed his hair and squeezed him as hard as she could. Normally she would have expected him to pull away, but he was holding onto her, face buried against her neck and Ginny's heart was breaking for him. "I know the world sees your father like some sort of God, but he's just a man, a very good hearted man, with his own faults, but unlike all the stories people like to tell, he wasn't the hero who alone destroyed Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He was smart enough to know that he needed help, because he couldn't do it alone and even when he was a stubborn idiot who wanted to keep others safe, we didn't let him. We all did our part. Stop trying to imitate a person that only exist in the collective imagination. If you want to be like your dad, then be a good man. That's all. The rest – the fame, the magic, the dark wizards – all of that is irrelevant."

"How? I don't know how to be anything without my magic," James said, his voice cracking while he tried to regulate his breathing and _finally_ stop crying.

"You're not your magic, Jamie, and besides, this is temporary. It's only been a few weeks. You have to give Draco a little more time than that," Ginny said.

James shook his head. "I can't. I can't do this to him, Mum. He shouldn't worry about me."

Ginny huffed. "Baby, that man doesn't just worry about you. He's completely in love with you and he'll do anything in his power to make you better, and if he can't, I wager he'd still want you in his life."

James looked up with a frown. "What are you saying?"

"Jamie, I've let you keep your secrets. I've never pushed, but do you really think I don't know? You should have stayed away from Quidditch players if you didn't want me to learn about your sexual orientation," she said with a smile. 

"Why haven't you said anything before? Does anyone else know? Grandma?"

"Stop fretting, Jamie. Grandma will be all right. Everyone will be all right and I haven't told anyone, since I was waiting for you to say something. I've hinted, pushed, shoved. How many times did I mention a nursery and adoption? But you never said anything, so I figured you weren't ready to tell me," she said with a shrug.

"What about Draco? Did Al tell you? I'm going to ki-"

Ginny snorted. "Your brother would never tell me anything that would impact the Malfoys. No, he didn't tell me, but you did. The way you kept mentioning his name, the times that you'd decline an invitation, because you simply had to speak to Draco, the way you smiled when you talked about him. I must admit that I was confused at first, but then it clicked. I can't say I understand. The man is as old as… well your father, he's pretty much a recluse only coming out to our home or for work."

"He's not," James said with a smile. "We go out. We go outside of the country and the Muggle world. He also sees his friends, but they all have big homes to entertain, which is why people don't see them in public."

"That- that smile and that tone of voice, that's what told me about Draco," Ginny said, wiping James' face dry. "And that's the smile that I want to see on your face, but you can't have it if you run away and hide in the Muggle world. Maybe you're right," she said, stopping another argument, "and you will be a Squib, but you don't have to leave. Your place is right here, with your family and with Draco. Give us some time to come up with a cure and give yourself time to accept all of the possibilities."

James nodded. "Just for a little bit longer."

**Prompt 28: Children – Filial Worry**

Solid hands began to knead his tense shoulders and Draco sighed happily, despite how tired he felt. He reached up and squeezed a hand. "Thank you."

"Are you all right, Dad?" Scorpius asked.

"Yes, of course." The lie came natural to Draco, because he didn't consider it a lie. He'd always tried to protect Scorpius and he couldn't do that if his son saw his own weaknesses.

Scorpius went around and sat on the couch next to him. "Stop lying to me. You've been working non-stop, you're barely sleeping and when you're not researching for a cure, you're drinking. I haven't seen you act this way since the summer Mum died and I remember how drunk you were that summer."

"I wasn't-"

"Oh please, don't even try that with me," Scorpius said. "You can show your perfect image to the world, but I remember. I remember you passing out from drinking too much and grandmother levitating you to bed. I remember the way your breath smelt and how you pretended that everything was going to be all right. Until she died, and then you did a 360, pulled yourself together and you were there for me, but Jamie isn't dying, Dad."

"He might as well be," Draco said serious. "How would you feel if you had no magic? You suddenly can't turn on and off the lights. You can't use the WWN. You can't take a shower, because the tap requires magic. You can't travel because you have no magic. You can't work because your job requires magic. He can't even get inside his house, because it requires his wand and magic. He literally needs someone with him all the time, and-" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"Does it make you love him any less?" Scorpius asked, softly.

"Of course not. I don't care, Scorpius, not for me. I care about the impact this is having on him, but no, I don't care if he becomes a Squib. We'd just have a house elf be with him night and day, we'd find a way to deal with it, but I don't think he can deal with that."

"Maybe instead of spending so much time away from him, you should be with him," Scorpius suggested. "Maybe it'll slow down your research a bit, but he needs you. I can't imagine that your absence is helping him believe that you'd want him around despite the lack of magic."

"He doesn't want his parents to know about us," Draco said with a sigh. "It's hard to explain why I'm there when they don't know we're together in the first place."

"Please, stop with the excuses. You're a Slytherin. You can find a way around that. Besides, is he really fooling anyone?" Scorpius asked with a frown. "He only spoke to you. Does he think that no one noticed?"

Draco shrugged as he got up and went to the trolley. "Do you want one?" he asked as he filled a glass with firewhiskey.

"Dad, it's four in the afternoon and I wager this isn't your first glass." Scorpius got up as well and took the glass from Draco and put it back on the liquor trolley. "No more drinking. You'll take a nice dreamless sleep potion, get some real rest."

"Scorpius-"

"Don't you Scorpius me. You're too tired to concentrate. You'll never find anything if you're half asleep or drunk. Get some rest and then you can start looking again, and Dad, when you get tired of researching, just go to him and stop drinking. He isn't Mum, but he's doing a bloody good imitation, staying in bed and withering away, but she had no choice. He does. Make him see that. It might just be what you both need."

Draco cupped Scorpius' cheeks and stared into grey eyes that matched his own. "How did you get so smart?"

"I have a great father who taught me." He put an arm around his father and held him for a moment. "I love you, Dad. Now get some sleep or I'm hexing you," he teased.

Draco chuckled. "Yes, Sir."

**Prompt 26: Teammates – A plan**

Scorpius had made sure that his father was really asleep before going to the drawing room, but he was intercepted before making it there.

"Lucy and I are going to see her sister for tea," Sophie said. "You need to fix my husband before we come back."

Scorpius looked at his wife with a frown. "What happened to him?"

Lucy shrugged. "He's most definitely _not_ upset that he thought Jamie was pulling a prank and it's certainly _not_ his problem that Jamie has no magic and he simply _cannot_ understand why anyone wants him to help Jamie. They hate each other."

"Ah, so he's feeling guilty. Great." Scorpius gave Lucy a peck on her lips and then hugged Sophie, before kissing her too. "Go, both of you. I'll try to have him somewhat fixed by the time you come back."

"You'd better. He's moping and no matter what I say, his answer is 'you don't know Jamie'."

Lucy moved closer and wrapped her arms around Sophie as well. "Don't feel bad. He's told me the same thing. With a straight face, too."

Sophie turned her head and kissed Lucy. "I'm sorry. I know you're upset, too, which is why we're using teamwork to knock some sense into him."

"And by team work, you mean that I'll deal with him and you two have tea, right?"

Sophie shrugged. "We're playing to our strengths. Have fun with him."

"Just not too much fun," Lucy put in with a smirk.

**Prompt 21: Friends – Relying On Each Other**

Albus was lounging on the couch, doing crossword puzzles in the Daily Prophet. If Scorpius hadn't known Albus so well, he would have thought that his friend was fine. Unlike James who could only lie in public, Albus could lie to anyone if he wanted to, even if he rarely did with Scorpius.

Scorpius grabbed the Prophet as he lay on top of Albus and put the newspaper down on the floor. "My grandparents are at Aunt Andromeda, Dad is sleeping thanks to a potion and Lucy and Sophie just left for tea with Molly, which means you have to entertain me."

Albus put his arms around Scorpius and grinned. "Is that so? And what would our wives think of us entertaining ourselves without them?"

"It depends how much enjoyment we get out of the entertainment?" Scorpius said, before laughing. 

"Mmm, it sounds like you want to get me in trouble with my wife." Albus lifted his head and kissed Scorpius. It started as a chaste press of lips, a ghost of a touch over and over, teasing and gentle. Scorpius nipped Al's lip, soothing it with his tongue, making Albus moan. "I like getting in trouble," he whispered.

Scorpius huffed against Albus' mouth. "You're an incorrigible prat, and I love you." He raised his head. "We all do, but you need to stop being a brat."

"I'm not-"

"No, no, no. I've already dealt with my dad and his unhealthy way of avoiding his emotions; I won't do it with you, too," Scorpius warned. "I know you love Jamie. We all know. Sure you two can't be in the same room without arguing and drive all of us insane, _but_ we also know that you love him. You will feel better."

"You don't know-"

"Don't you even finish that sentence! I know Jamie. He'll think you're taking the piss, then he'll say that it's just pity, then he'll insult you some, and then he'll finally believe you. You two will bump shoulders, because you're too good for a hug, and then you'll both feel better," Scorpius said. "And you know that's exactly how it will go, because it's not the first time that you two have had a major blowout with not so pleasant consequences."

"Except he was never a Squib. He could always hex back if I did something or said something." Albus closed his eyes and sighed. "We had a Squib in our family before. He moved to the Muggle world, became an accountant and we never spoke about him again. It's an uncle of my mother, but if you ask her what happened to him, she has no idea. What if that's what happens to Jamie?"

Scorpius scooted to the side and put an arm around Albus, while they stared at each other. "It's not going to be like that, Al. I'm not saying that they will find a cure. I know Dad will do his best, but I know how much he looked for something when Mum was sick. Sometimes, there's simply no cure, but that doesn't mean that we'll forget about Jamie. Dad won't let him go and I doubt you and your family would, either. Even if he wants to find a job in the Muggle world, and I don't know why he would since we can support him for life, we can find a way for him to Floo. He can still live here."

"If he decides to tell my parents," Albus added with a snort.

"Well, yes, that. He can also work here. It's not like my family's business isn't varied enough that he can't get involved. He might not have magic, but it's not like he's forgotten about our world." Scorpius smiled a little. "We'll help him."

"I'm glad he has your father," Albus admitted.

"No, you dolt, we – Lucy, Sophie and I will help him, because he's your brother. He's important to you and you're important to us."

Albus pressed his forehead against Scorpius. "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never have to find out, because the four of us will be together forever," Scorpius said with certainty. "I don't care that we don't fit the world's opinion of what's proper. We have a stronger bond than most married couples and that's why we'll never break apart, not even when we have children."

"Lucy and Sophie really love each other, don't they? I never expected it at the start," Albus admitted, "but when they told us, it just… clicked. Promise me. Promise me that we will always be together."

"Is that what's been worrying you?" Scorpius ran his fingers through Albus' black mop. "You're not losing any of us. Not even Jamie. I'll take an unbreakable oath if it makes you feel better."

Albus smiled at that. "It's enough that he's lost his magic. Let's not borrow trouble with an unbreakable oath. I- I've been thinking about how easy it is for things to go sideways. Jamie's the poster child for the perfect wizard and now he can't even cast a summoning spells. Draco's been talking about how life changes when you have children and I got this nagging feeling that I'd be losing Jamie _and_ you and Lucy, and-"

"And you started to annoy Sophie," Scorpius finished.

"She's been very supportive, trying to help with my parents, but the more she tried to help, the angrier I got, because what's the point of getting close to Jamie now that the idiot wants to leave, right?" Albus sighed.

"Your brother _is_ an idiot. If you're rude to Sophie every time that Jamie does something stupid, you'll spend your life grovelling and making it up to her, and she will make you grovel."

"As if I don't know," Albus said, chuckling. "She's a Slytherin after all. It's good we have Lucy with us. We need one of us to be nice."

Scorpius snorted. "Lucy only pretends to be nice."

"True enough," Albus said, laughing. 

"Feeling better?"

Albus shrugged. "It's going to take some time, but this is a start. Do you know what'd make it better? Let's go to Paris for dinner tomorrow night, sleep there and Disneyland on Saturday. Sophie might forget what a prick I've been."

"Doubtful, but it's a start," Scorpius said, grinning.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Dark Thoughts  
** 25 October, 2025  
Prompt 06: Hours 

It was dark outside, dawn still hours away and he couldn't cast a simple spell to look at his watch, but James could hear the clock in the living room strike each hour on the hour. 

He couldn't sleep no matter how much he tried, not when the memories kept coming back. A year ago he'd been on top of the world. He had been out on his first date with Draco and everything had been perfect. It'd been the start of what should have been a wonderful life. Sure, he'd known that there would be problems along the way, but nothing that he couldn't overcome.

_Everything comes easy to Jamie._

That was before he lost his magic, before the very core of his identity was ripped from him leaving him unable to cope. James was nothing without magic, from his job to Quidditch, from his house to his lover, everything was connected to magic, and now it was all gone.

What was that Mrs. Malfoy had said? Draco had withered away as he watched his wife lay on her deathbed. James wouldn't do that to Draco. It'd be his anniversary gift to Draco. James would set him free. 

One of them deserved to live fully.

**Prompt 07: Days**

He woke up with a start. James wasn't sure when he'd even fallen asleep. He remembered the first rays tinging the sky orange and then he must have succumbed to fatigue. 

The clock chimed in the living room and James counted the strikes. Eleven. His father would be at work already. His mother probably in the kitchen. She'd spent more time at home since he got here, and cooking seemed to be her way of coping. Just like Grandma, James thought.

He got up and went to the window. It'd been unusually cold the past few days, or maybe it was a feeling that was gripping him. The more people told him that it would be all right, the more convinced he became that there'd be no cure.

The past few days had been passed pretending to believe their pretty words. _Sure, I'll think about it. Of course, we'll find a cure. Naturally, I have a place in the wizarding world._

All lies, but James was good at lying when it mattered, when he needed to put on a performance. He'd been performing for days.

"Jamie, are you up? Brunch is ready."

His mother's voice cut through his thoughts. James looked at the mirror and smiled, bright and happy. He could pretend a little longer.

**Prompt 08: Weeks**

The afternoon dragged on as he thought about the past few weeks. He couldn't believe that a few weeks were enough to destroy a person's like, but they were. 

He'd made mistake after mistake. It had started with that duel in a country home in Yorkshire. His mother thought that his mistake had been not to call for back up, but he'd been under orders. No one was getting close to this case. No, his real mistake had been that he hadn't been good enough or fast enough. If he had been, he would still have his magic.

That original mistake was compounded through the weeks. He should have never said anything to Draco at St. Mungo's. Or afterwards. Every time he opened his mouth to talk to Draco, his strength disappeared and he fell apart. The only way to stay strong was to keep everything tight inside him, locked away in the dark recess of his mind. 

Talking was his biggest mistake. He'd proven it with his mother. He still couldn't believe that he'd acknowledged that he was gay and dating Draco. That was supposed to be his secret, something that he wasn't ready to share, something that he might have never shared. He should have denied it, but he'd been weak and had confirmed it, because being in her arms like a little boy had felt too good to resist. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Mum, can you run the water? I want to take a bath before dinner."

Ginny came to his room and smiled. "About time you got out of that bed. I'll get it ready for you."

 **Prompt 09: Months**

Magic was like gentle notes playing a soft melody, like a soft wind in a summer day, like a child's laugher making everything brighter. Magic was something that made every fibre of his body come alive.

How many times had he discussed this with Aunt Hermione?

They weren't Muggles with magic; they were wizards. Nothing felt as good as feeling the magic course through your entire being to produce something spectacular, or funny, or sometimes sad. Every part of their lives was marked by magic, but now he had none.

It seemed like the saddest part of this day.

James slid down the tub, his head fully submerged. It was peaceful down here as he thought about his life the past few months, a smile creeping up on his face despite everything. He loved Draco. He'd loved the quiet familiarity of their evenings together, the surprises of their foreign travels, the desire of their nights spent in each other's arm.

He came up as his lungs began to burn, but he only stayed there enough to inhale before enjoying the warm cocoon of the water, spelled by his mother to stay warm. Months of love and happiness would have to be enough. Most people didn't even get that. 

He sat up again and reached outside of the tub. In a perfect world, he would have picked up his wand. Then again, in a perfect world, he would have never considered doing any of this.

His fingers closed around the silver dagger. It'd been a gift from Draco, sharp and shiny, with a lion's head adorning its hilt. It'd been one of the first objects Draco had rid of a dark curse, something that he held dear and shared it with James. If it couldn't be a wand, this was the perfect substitute.

Steady, without hesitation, the blade cut through the thin skin of his left wrist, then again the right, with a little more hesitation. His left hand had never been as steady as his right, not even with a wand. The cuts weren't deep enough for a quick and painful death. James put the dagger back down and closed his eyes as he submerged his wrists. He could slowly let go of this life while the joy of the past few months played like a film behind his closed eyes.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Bleak Hope  
** 25 October, 2025  
Prompt 65: Passing – Cheating the Reaper 

The knock on the door was unexpected. Ginny checked who it was before opening it. Living with Harry had taught her to be careful. It wasn't Dark wizards that they had to worry about, but fans and people in awe of what he'd done. She'd had her own fans, but that had been a long time ago.

"Draco, come on in," she said, looking outside for any possible journalists and photographers.

"I come alone. Scorpius is home, Sophie is at her parents and Al and Lucy are still at the Ministry," he said, amused.

She closed the door and chuckled. "I wasn't worried about them. I keep checking for the likes of Rita Skeeter. I'm still shocked that the Ministry has kept Jamie's injury a secret."

"I doubt anyone wants to admit that there is a Dark wizard on the loose. It's bad for everyone." He unclipped the clasp of his cloak and took it off, folding it over his arm. "I hope I'm not disturbing."

"Not at all. I was making dinner. Jamie is taking a bath. He's been-" She sighed. "I don't know. He ate with me, and talked some. He sounded cheerful, almost hopeful, but- Maybe I'm worrying about nothing, but he can be really good at hiding what he's feeling and this change is too sudden." She shook her head, while she walked toward the kitchen. "He has been in there for a while. Do mind checking up on him, let him know that we'll have dinner when Harry gets home. Oh and if he doesn't answer, just go in. Whether he answers or not, it's still a coin toss."

Draco still knocked. "Jamie? It's me. May I come in?" He tried twice more, but each time his question was met with silence. He cracked the door open and peeked inside. "Jamie?"

His world came crumbling down like the cashmere cloak that fell from his arm. Jamie's head was slumped to the side with his eyes closed. A macabre reddish water came to his collarbone. His chest was dangerously still. "Ginny!"

Draco was shocked at how much fear he could hear in his own voice, but there was no time for that. He needed to focus on James. A wave of his wand unplugged the tub before levitating Jamie's body out of the tub.

"What-" Her hands flew to her face. "God- Jamie."

Draco lowered Jamie to the floor and crouched next to him. He rested a hand over James' chest and checked his breathing. It was barely there, but there was still life in Jamie. He turned his head to face her. "He's alive. Get your husband, because we'll need him." He closed his eyes thinking back to his sixth year and Snape fixing his open wounds.

He raised his wand. His hand was shaking and Draco took a deep breath. "I'll kill you when you're better," he muttered, trying to get his nerves under control and then cast the same spell he'd heard decades ago, hoping that he'd get it right. A strings of red lights streamed out of the wand, wrapping around Jamie's wrist like complex web until the cut was closed. Feeling more certain with himself, Draco cast it against to mend the other wrist.

"Tolly." His house elf appeared. "Go to the house and bring me my potions."

"Yes, Master. Which potions must Tolly bring?"

Draco closed his eyes trying to remember where he kept the potions he'd need. "Third cupboard, second shelf from the top. Just bring everything that's there. I'll find it." She was gone without a word.

Draco summoned a towel and laid it on top of James. He cast a warming spell and was rewarded with a sigh, a sign of life.

"Harry is on his way." She crouched on the other side of James. "What do we do?"

"Right now, we wait for the right potion. When he's better, we hex some sense into him." Draco felt as cold as James must have been. Even the snarky words felt empty. "Why? Why would he do something so stupid?"

"I think- I might have said too much." Ginny pushed James hair back, before leaning down and kissing his cheek. "He wanted to leave, go to the Muggle world. I told him to stay, to give us time."

Draco squeezed her hand. "You didn't say anything wrong."

"Ginny." Harry came running through the house and stopped at the door. "Is he-"

"He's alive," Draco said, immediately. There was a pop and an old leather bag appeared next to Draco. He opened it up and looked through the glass vial. He uncapped two, smelt them to make sure he had the right ones. "He needs blood. This potion does the trick, but it's more powerful if it includes blood from family. I need few drops from both of you."

Harry stretched his arm as he got close. "We should take him to St. Mungo's."

"There's nothing they can do that I haven't already done. The cuts are fixed; the potion will help with the blood loss. We'll cast a spell so that he can rest for an hour or so, and then-"

"We can hex some sense into him," Ginny finished.

"Precisely." Draco used his wand to prick Harry's finger. Two drops went into each vial, before he repeated the process with Ginny. He whispered a spell and the red droplets whirled faster and faster until the potion was clear again. "Here, hold one." It wasn't an easy feat to make sure that James swallowed both of them while unconscious, but they managed, before levitating his body to his room and letting him sleep.

**Prompt 59: Food – Forcing Normalcy**

Draco stayed for dinner. Ginny made a grand production of insisting. She wasn't outdone by Draco who claimed that he didn't want to intrude, but they all knew that Draco wasn't going anywhere until James woke up.

Dinner was strange and awkward until they started discussing the case. Draco had once told James that his entire generation was screwed up and this was more proof of that fact. They had no idea how to talk to each other about Quidditch or the newest WWN programme, but discuss Dark wizards, battles and death and they were suddenly comfortable. 

"It would be better if we could use Jamie's memories, but Malfoy has done a good job with the legilimency," Harry said.

"Will the second hand memories be admissible in the Wizengamot?" Ginny asked with a frown.

"Probably not," Draco answered. "The Minister in her infinite wisdom thinks that people shouldn't use legilimency, something about invading someone's privacy and mental rape and assault."

Harry huffed. "Get off her case, Malfoy. She's trying, but she's-"

"A Muggleborn?" Draco finished.

"I thought you didn't think purebloods were better anymore," Ginny asked.

"That doesn't mean that we're the same," he answered. "You can be equal and different at the same time. We – you and I – will always see the world differently than Granger. Jamie sees it differently than us. Experiences effect what we believe in and she's very… Muggle."

"She is, but not for this. She knows better. Hermione always knows when it's time to break the rules," Harry said. "Besides, we're assuming that we can bring this person to trial."

"What? No _Expelliarmus_ this time?" Draco teased.

"I'm not seventeen anymore and I'm not Dumbledore either. I can't spend my life to ensure that this person-"

"Leo and Samuel Cresswell," Draco said. "It's not a person, but two people, or at least I think so. I just found out today, which was why I was here among other things. I wanted to see if Jamie knew the names."

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"Theo pointed me in the right direction." Draco could see that the name meant nothing to the other two. "Theo Nott, married to Pansy."

"Bitch," Ginny murmured.

"She'll be happy to know that she made a lasting impression," Draco said, chuckling. "Anyway, he collects rare books and he's got plenty of connections. Jamie and I have spoken to him in the past about some of the objects that we've dealt with, and today he firecalled me, saying that the Cresswell name keeps popping up. Newcomers in the book world, they are a few years younger than us and they are only interested in books about immortality. I'll put feelers out to some of my friends and see what else they are collecting."

"I'll run the names and see if I can find more. That's great help. Thank you."

Draco nodded. "As long as you end up killing them, one way or another, I'll be happy to find whatever information you want."

Ginny chuckled. "Once a Slytherin, always-"

"Happy to let the Gryffindor do the dirty work," Draco finished with a grin.

"All right, enough shop talk. I made pie."

Harry waited until she went to the kitchen and groaned. "She's turning into Molly. The longer Jamie is sick, the more she bakes. I'll be two hundred pounds before this is over."

Draco chuckled. "And that's why you're still not a pureblood, Potter. Vanish the food when she's not looking and your weight problems are solved."

"That's actually… smart," Harry answered.

"I'm very smart. Smart enough to eat the pie."

**Prompt 87: Life – Awkward Awakening**

Footsteps from the staircase made the three of them turn as once. Ginny was the first to get up and go to James. "Love, you shouldn't be walking. Here, let me help you get to the chair."

"What happened?" James asked with a frown.

"You didn't die," came the snapped reply from Draco. 

"I-"

"You what?" Draco got up abruptly, his chair falling backward. "You thought that what? It was a smart plan to kill yourself? That you'd find the most hurtful way to do it? Not for you, but for the rest of us. Your mother would find you, you used _my_ dagger, or did you think that I wouldn't recognise it?"

"You weren't supposed to see it," James murmured.

"Oh well, then-" He looked around. "Did you hear him? I wasn't supposed to see that he tried to kill himself with my dagger, a gift, something that means something to me. But it was okay for your mother to find you dead in her bathtub, or for me to know that you picked today of all days? Or what? I wasn't supposed to remember what today is?"

"Draco-" Ginny started, but Harry, who had stayed at the table, shook his head in her direction. She hesitated, but then let go of James. "Will you be all right?"

"I'm fine, Mum," he said, forcing a smile.

"Would you fucking stop?" Draco barked. "Stop pretending for one bloody minute. Stop pretending that you're fine and you're happy. You just tried to kill yourself, you stupid, selfish-"

"Selfish? Do you think I'm being selfish?" James rested his hand on the couch and leaned against it. "I'm being the opposite of selfish. None of you deserve to deal with this, especially you. You shouldn't be stuck with a Squib. You're Draco bloody Malfoy, everything you do is about magic."

Draco went around the couch and cupped James' cheeks. "I am Draco Malfoy. I do what I want when I want to. Do you really think it'd be hard for me to find a solution if I didn't want to be stuck with you? There are a lot less lethal ways to break up and you know it. You didn't do this for me, but for yourself, because this has shaken your confidence and because you're tired and not thinking straight. If only you'd allow yourself to be helped, then you'd see that there are plenty of ways to make things better."

James shook his head. "I'm nothing without my magic."

"Wrong. You're James Sirius Potter. You're Most Eligible Bachelor. You're a son, a brother, a nephew, and soon an uncle. You're a smart man who can find new ways to be helpful. You're gorgeous, caring and incredibly strong. None of that is because of your magic," Draco said.

James put an arm around Draco and rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "I don't feel strong. I feel tired."

Draco wrapped his arms around James, who was resting most of his weight against Draco. "Do you know what else you are? You're the person who makes me laugh with a few words, the man who makes me smile just by being around, you're the one I can't live without, you're the man I'm in love with-"

James' head snapped up and looked at his parents.

"Stop it. Do you really think they don't know?" Draco said with a sigh. He'd given in too many times, letting James decide when to come out, but he refused to stay quiet when it was obvious that they both knew and James had just tried to kill himself. "If you stopped hiding so much and _talked_ to them, you wouldn't feel so alone. True, your father is a pain in the arse, but he's not completely unreasonable."

He let go with one arm and led James toward the table at the same time that Harry levitated the fallen chair. "When did you know, Potter?"

"For certain?" Harry looked at James and smiled. "His birthday. I asked both of you why he had invited you and you both gave me the same answer, word for word, as if it'd been rehearsed to throw suspicion away from the real reason. Suspected? About the fifteenth time he volunteered to do unpaid overtime to bring you a Dark object. So I'd say around two years ago?"

"Then you clued in a whole year before me," Draco answered, before looking at James. "I told you that your parents aren't stupid."

"Are you complimenting us, Malfoy? I'm touched."

Draco snorted. "I'm stating a fact. If your little brain thinks of it as a compliment, that's your own doing.

"Just like being back in school," Ginny said with a grin.

Draco helped James sit down and started to walk to the other side of the table, when James grabbed his wrist. "I'm bringing the chair here."

Before he could do so, Harry moved the chair with a flicker of his hand. It was done so casually, betraying the power that Harry held, a power that Draco didn't know if he could match and never wanted to find out. Instead he nodded in thanks and sat down next to James. He ran his fingers through James' hair. "Your parents and I can go on for a long time, but that doesn't mean that we've forgotten that you're here, and you can't keep up the silent treatment."

"What do you want me to say, huh?" James asked. "You're all smarter, braver, blah blah."

Draco pinched the bridge, before starting at James. "You're right. We're smarter, braver, always know what to do. It's why your mother got sucked into the Dark- Voldemort's diary. It's why I was so excited to join the Death Eaters and get my mark. It's why your father never trusted people who could help him. As you can tell, we're perfect. Bloody hell, Jamie, stop creating this impossible standard for yourself based on this perfect image that you have of us."

"Draco is right, Jamie. None of us are perfect. If I'd been smarter, maybe Sirius wouldn't have died. Maybe a lot of people wouldn't have died. That's something that I will have to carry with me," Harry said. "We all have our scars and we've learned to put a brave face for the world, but that doesn't mean that we're perfect nor does it mean that we expect you to be perfect."

Draco ran his fingers over James' wrist. "These aren't made of magic, though and we can heal them."

James looked down at his wrists and shook his head. "Not yet. I might do it again if they aren't there."

"No, you're not, and you know how I know, because you're done with this pity party. Now that your parents know, you're moving back to the manor. There are more people there, you can help me with the research, and you'll have things to do other than sulk in bed," Draco said.

"Are you mad? I can barely function here. Everything is about magic at the manor."

"That's fine. Tolly will be at your disposal all day long, doing whatever you need."

"Guarding me, you mean," James muttered.

"That too. However, I'm hoping that you will have plenty other things to do," Draco answered.

"And until you're ready to tell everyone else, we can say that I had to go back to work. Albus offered for you to stay with him," Ginny said. "We all agreed that it was for the best." She looked at Harry who nodded in return. "See? It's not that terrible."

"And both of you are more than welcome to join us in the evening," Draco said.

James snorted. "Dad is always working. He'll never make it for dinner."

"Then your mother can. With your sister still in school, and both you and Albus at the manor, there's no reason why she can't spend time there. She can spend time with Lucy and Sophie as well."

"Your father will love it." James cracked a smile.

"You'll be surprised what my father will do in the name of survival and he knows that your father is the best hope to stop two potential dark wizards. He'll be fine," Draco reassured him.

It was Harry's turn to snort. "He still doesn't like me after I kept him out of jail. I doubt he'll be happy with having all of us there."

"I never said he'd be happy. Only that he'll be fine. Mother will see to it. Still we can save the discussions for another day; I'm taking you home," he told James. "You're still weak and need rest. We'll see your mother tomorrow for dinner."

"Tomorrow is Sunday. Harry won't be at work," Ginny said with a smile. 

"We told Molly-"

Ginny continued ignoring the interruption from her husband. "We'll both be at dinner." Draco didn't doubt it for a second.

**Prompt 90: Home – Being Home**

Warm flames danced in the hearth of the fireplace, playing a game of chiaroscuro in the otherwise dark bedroom. The large bed sat on the opposite side of the room. Covered in the finest sheet and fluffiest comforter, James lay in Draco's arms. "I'm sorry."

They had been in bed for what felt hours, although it probably was close to ten or fifteen minutes. James hadn't spoken until those whispered words. Draco ran his hand over James' back. "I thought you were dead. I came into that bathroom and I couldn't see you breathe. Apologies won't erase that memory. Apologies are for Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. I don't want any. I want a promise that you won't do it again."

James took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can. I want to. I want to be with you, but then I summon my wand, and nothing happens and I remember what I am and what I'm not. I can promise that I'll try."

Draco rolled on top of James. "Then promise me that you'll remember not just what you are, but what you mean to me. I want to spend my life with you and I don't care if you can't do magic. Maybe it's hypocritical of me. I don't even want to go to the Muggle world most of the times, but you're not a Muggle. You're Jamie and that's all I want. We'll make it work, but you need to trust me."

"I do. I really do, but I don't want you to do this because of some sense of loyalty or pity, or whatever."

Draco kissed him softly. "I'm doing this, because I love you, but it's all right if you can't hear it yet. I'll find a cure and then I'll tell you again."

James hugged him tight and after a moment Draco could feel tears against his shoulder. "You'll be okay, Jamie. You'll see." Draco kept murmuring sweet words until James feel asleep.

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: The Aftermath  
** 26 October, 2025  
Prompt 58: Dinner – New Traditions 

Scorpius pulled a chair for Lucy and waited for her to sit before joining her at the dinner table. His grandparents were already there and Albus and Sophie followed. "Okay, what is happening? Why aren't we going to your grandmother? We always go on Sunday."

Albus shrugged. "Probably something to do with Jamie. He's here, isn't he? Something must have happened."

Narcissa smiled at the four. "Don't you know, Scorpius? Your father has invited Albus' parents for dinner."

A spray of wine covered the tablecloth while Albus coughed. Sophie clapped his back while laughing. "You did that on purpose, Aunt Narcissa."

"Did I? I don't know what you mean." She winked at Sophie while casting a spell to clean the tablecloth, before looking up at the new arrivals. "And our guests have arrived."

Scorpius stood up, while glaring at Albus. "I'm not getting up for my parents," he murmured.

"Good evening." Ginny's arm was locked with Harry's, but it looked more like she was ensuring that he wouldn't run away. "I hope we aren't late."

"Not at all, Mrs. Potter," Narcissa said. "We were entertaining ourselves. Albus was being most captivating. Do have a seat. Draco, darling, if you don't expect anyone else, we'll have the house elves bring dinner."

"No, Mother, no one else for today. I can't guarantee the same thing for the future. He pulled out a chair for Ginny, and then took a seat between her and James. "We might have more people stopping by the house in the near future. I do promise that it's temporary."

"Is this about that case?" Lucy asked.

"The one we haven't mentioned?" Harry said. "That would be the one and we'll continue not to mention it except on a 'need to know' basis and you don't need to know."

Lucy huffed. "You're so boring, Uncle Harry."

"How about not going to grandma's? Is that 'need to know'?" Albus asked. 

"Your brother hasn't been well and the Burrow is a little overwhelming," Ginny said. "We told your grandmother that for today and the foreseeable future, we'd be here, all of us. As Draco said, it's temporary."

Albus snorted. "It's been weeks and I don't see how his lack of magic has anything to do with di-"

"I tried to kill myself," James blurted out. All eyes were on him, but his eyes were fixed on the plate in front of him. "Mum and Draco found me in time. I-" He raised the sleeves of his shirt and showed them his wrist. 

Albus tossed the napkin on the table and got up. "If you'll excuse me, I've lost my appetite." He Disapparated before anyone could stop him.

"I'll go," Scorpius said.

"My turn," Sophie answered.

"No." James got up. "It should be me." He called Tolly and asked the house elf to take him to wherever Albus was. When they arrived to the room, James took a good look around. They had lived in the same home for weeks, but James had never been to this room, or even this floor.

The room was bigger than Draco's, which he didn't think possible, but when he paid attention, he could see that these were two rooms that had been turned into one. At each side of the room, there was a bathroom. There were two fireplaces. There were too many couches and chairs as far as he was concerned. There was also a bed that had transfigured to fit a good four people, and that was when it clicked. This wasn't Albus' room. This was the room that he shared with the other three.

"Done gawking? You can leave." Albus was sitting on an armchair, turned away from where James was.

"How do you know I'm gawking when you can't see me?" James asked as he walked toward his brother.

"I know you. Or at least I thought I knew you." Albus raised his head when James walked past him and took a seat in front of him. "How could you do that? How could you- You're the bloody Gryffindor here, the brave one. You're not the coward. Why?"

"Because I'm tired of being all of that. Because I'm not all of that without my magic. Or maybe I've never been all of that, but I faked it well."

"That's bullshit, Jamie. I know when you fake it. I know when you pretend, and you didn't pretend all of those things."

"Maybe. Or maybe I've been those things because it was expected of me," he said with a shrug.

Albus scooted closer to the edge of the armchair and rested his elbows on his knees. "Those things were expected of me and did you see me do them? No, because it's not who I am. I know you cared about the expectations, but you wouldn't have been able to meet them if you weren't that person. You are brave and you are kind and you are a million good things. You're also arrogant, annoying, and generally a pain in the arse." 

He got up and moved away. "Did you ever think of what you were doing to Mum and Dad? To Draco? To everyone in the family? To me?" he added softly. "We've spent so much time fighting and arguing and then I thought I was going to lose you, because you'd go to the Muggle world or some shit like that, but I never thought I'd lose you, because… because-"

Albus felt James get closer and closed his eyes. His mother always said that he gave too much away from his green eyes, and she was right. Right now, he wouldn't have been able to hide the anger and guilt even if he tried. Not that James seemed to pay attention, because he closed his arms around Albus and held him tight. "I'm sorry, Al. This isn't your fault. I won't make empty promises, but I've already promised Draco that I'll do my best to stay here with all of you."

"I hate you," Albus said. He inhaled sharply. "I hate that you make me feel like I'm never good enough and that I'm always doing something wrong, but I can't live without you around. You're my stupid big brother and I need you, while you don't need anyone. Ever. You close yourself up, because you're stronger and don't need help, and when you do, you're too stubborn to ask for it and do something this stupid."

"Draco keeps telling me that I need to rely on family more. Maybe he's right."

"Maybe? You just tried to kill yourself," Albus snapped back. "I think it's more than maybe. You're always there for anyone in this family, giving support, but you think you're too bloody good to accept it in return. You need to fucking stop, Jamie. You need to accept that you're human like the rest of us. You need to talk to people and you need to tell the rest of the family how you're feeling. Do you understand? Because that's the only way you won't feel so tired and alone. And I can't believe I'm suggesting talking to our cousins, but there you have it."

James let go and smiled. "I had already decided to tell him. Not all at once. I don't think the Malfoys can take that many Weasleys in this house at once, but slowly. I just need a few days, okay?"

Albus sighed. "Fine, but don't take too long. You already keep too many secrets."

"Can we go eat now? Dad is going to be pissed off if he's got to deal with three generations of Malfoy and we're not there," he teased.

"Okay, but I'm still angry with you."

James put an arm around Albus and squeezed. "I know, but how about you do me a solid and Apparate both of us down there? Walking through this manor is a bloody exercise."

Albus chuckled. "Yes, Master. Let me be your house elf, Master."

"Idiot."

"Dunderhead."

"Wanker."

"Tosser." Albus nudged James with his shoulder. "Hey, Jamie?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're alive." He Apparated them to the dining room, before they could get too emotional.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Family  
** 27 October, 2025  
Prompt 56: Breakfast – Keeping Busy 

"Are you done with breakfast?" Scorpius asked.

James raised his eyebrows in question. It wasn't as impressive as the one arched eyebrow that seemed to be a Malfoy trait, but it'd have to do. 

"Dad needs to restock his potion cabinet. I get the pleasure of preparing them this month," Scorpius said. "He's anal and does them himself, unless he's busy with whatever you lot bring in from the Ministry. He likes the Dark Arts more than potions."

"You do remember that I can't do magic, yes?" James asked.

Scorpius shrugged. "That doesn't mean that you don't remember how potions are prepared. You've got a NEWT in potion, which means you can definitely help me with them."

"I've turned into your assistant, then?"

Scorpius did raise one perfect arched eyebrow. "I'm sorry. Am I intruding on your busy schedule?"

James dropped the fork and sighed. "Fine, I'm done. Let's go make some potions."

Cutting, dicing, crushing, James did what was needed. He hadn't made potions since he'd left school, but it was like riding a broom (if one had magic). He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't realise that two hours had gone by.

"I'm almost done." Scorpius stirred the ladle, watching James. "I need to review a proposal for the St. Mungo's board meeting. You're more than welcome to join me, see if you have anything to add about some changes we want to push."

"Proposal?" James scrunched his nose. "Fancy word for paperwork."

"Things don't get done without paperwork, and Dad wants to create a research department, so that Healers can research new and unusual hexes and potions, including Dark ones," Scorpius said. "I don't know if people will be receptive, but all things considered, we might get it through."

"Do the people on the board know about me?" James asked.

"They know that an Auror has been attacked and there is a strong suspicion that a Dark hex was used. They don't know the identity of the Auror nor do they know for sure that it's a Dark hex. The Healers are still unwilling to classify it as such," Scorpius explained.

"Why are you doing this? Helping? With St. Mungo's? The potions? What's in it for you?"

Scorpius snorted. "I'm doing something therefore I must want something, is that it? Well, I suppose I want something. I want my father and my best friend to be happy and both of them care about you. We've never been close, but I don't want you dead, not because of some grand ideal that all lives are precious. There are plenty of people whose lives are meaningless and irrelevant as far as I'm concerned, but your continued well-being is important to the people I love, therefore I'll do my part to keep you busy until Dad finds a cure and then you can go back to being your usual, annoying, arrogant Gryffindor. Al can go back to hating everything you say and do without feeling guilty, my grandparents won't be annoyed by your parents' presence in this house, and Dad can go back to buggering you and being happy."

"As long as you're not doing because you care," James answered, smiling a little, because as brutal as the answer was, it was also honest.

"Heavens no. I'd worry that I'd lost the plot if I cared." Scorpius smiled back. 

"You're as big a plonker as Albus."

"Just because I don't drool when I see you? Oh my, Jamie, is that arrogance coming back already?" He extinguished the flame and moved closer to James. "Sorry, Jamie, but your brother has a much better arse."

"Ewwww, I hate you. Aren't you the proper one?"

Scorpius laughed. "Only when my family is around. If you don't believe me, ask your brother and your cousin."

"Nah, definitely not. Seeing that bed was enough, thank you very much."

Scorpius chuckling. "People don't understand what's the biggest secret you hide. It's not being gay and it's not Dad, but it's that you're a Weasley through and through. You're a romantic and a prude, and-" He stopped and the smile morphed into a serious expression. "And so is my father. If you both want this to be something serious, then I'm happy for you. None of us care about your magic, Jamie. You make Dad happy and that's what I care about, because he hasn't been happy in a long time, even before Mum died. But you're still a pain in the arse."

"I'm not. I'm perfect, don't you know?" James answered, feeling a lot more relaxed that he had in a while. "Oh and Scorpius? Thank you."

**Prompt 57: Lunch – Manual Labour**

Draco had just left to do more research and James was finishing lunch, when Sophie turned to him. "I need your help."

If James had been a Slytherin, he would have been a lot more suspicious. As it were, he shrugged and nodded.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Follow me." Sophie got up and walked toward the stairs. "We're going to the dungeon. The Malfoys have tons of stuff stored there. I want to see if there are any baby things: cribs and such."

"And why do you need me?" James asked as he followed her down the stairs.

"To move things around, naturally. You don't expect _me_ to do the work. I wouldn't even if I weren't pregnant, and I don't know what would react negatively to magic, ergo you're the perfect solution since you don't have any magic. Better than a house elf at the moment."

"Does my brother know what a bitch you are?" James asked.

Sophie smiled brightly. "And he loves it."

"Of course he does." Albus loved that edge of meanness in people. It was why he liked Scorpius so much. "So where do you go every day? I mean I never realised before, but- Do you have a job?"

"A job? Heavens no. How middle class of you!" She shook her head as if that were the most insane suggestion she'd ever heard. "Not that it's any of your business, but I go to see my parents. They don't have a nine to five job either, so we can spend our day together. I usually have lunch with them and dinner here, but today I wanted to go through the dungeon. Do you know that King William I gave this land to Armand Malfoy back in 1081? The house has been standing in one form or another since then. That's a lot of history and a lot of hidden treasures."

"I might have heard that once or a million times. Albus was obsessed when he was little. He loved this house. He kept saying how much better than ours it was. I could see Dad's vein throb in his temple every time he said that." James knew that it had to do with the war, because his father tensed even now.

"It is a wonderful house, almost as old as Hogwarts."

"But nowhere near as magical."

"Do you really want to live in a house where rooms change? One spends so much time to make sure that everything looks perfect and the house changes itself. That'd be a nightmare." She walked past the cells, ignoring the bars, but stopped when she saw that James was staring at them.

"Aunt Luna was here. She talks about it sometimes. It's where Bellatrix Lestrange would torture her." He spoke softly, respectful of the suffering that had transpired here. "We study these things in school, but-"

Sophie hooked her arm with his. "We weren't here. It's history, Jamie, and we can't let it affect us."

"How can we not?" James asked.

"Well, if we did, then Albus would have never been sorted in Slytherin and we'd never be married and expecting." She smiled as she touched her stomach.

"Does it move?"

"What? The baby? I'm sure he does, but we can't feel him yet," she said.

"He? Do you know for sure?" James asked. "Fuck, I've been a bad brother, haven't I? I haven't asked about any of this."

"It's a boy, yes, which means we'll keep trying until I get a girl," she said, smiling. "Your parents and mine already know. Lucy and Scorpius know as well, and Uncle Draco and his parents. Al wrote Lily as well. You were… preoccupied when we found out. It was right after the attack." She ran her hand over his arm. "The baby's due date is April 22, but I can tell you already that we're seeing if I can be induced and deliver on April 17. Al says that you've ruined enough of his birthdays that he'll ruin yours for the rest of your life by sharing with our son."

James laughed. "That's actually brilliant. I'd be honoured to share a birthday with my nephew. I'll even make sure that he's the centre of attention once or twice."

"Oh love, it's my baby. You'll never have the spotlight again," she answered, grinning.

"I can live with that, although Draco might disagree with you."

Sophie thought for a moment and then shook her head. "Uncle Draco loves babies, especially when he's related to them, even if it's by marriage and not blood."

"Scorpius and Lucy will be the godparents?"

Sophie nodded. "And we'll be the godparents for their child. By the way, it's another boy. I don't know if they will go for number two. Lucy likes her independence."

"And Malfoys tend to go for the sole heir," James added.

"There is that. I always wanted siblings, but Mum was scared that somehow she could pass on the hex, even though Uncle Draco says that she wasn't a carrier and couldn't have. These two boys will grow up together, but I think it'd be nice to have another one."

"Two boys, one girl. I don't know. Lily couldn't wait to get rid of me and Al," he said, remembering all their discussions with a smile. "We might have been a little overprotective."

"You? No? I'm shocked, really. Never would have guessed. James Potter being the protective White Knight. It's such a strange concept." She smiled at him. "You were such a prick in school, do you know? Always standing up for those Gryffindor girls even when there was no reason and even when they instigated the problems."

"It was the right thing to do," James said.

Sophie snorted. "You just didn't like the Slyterins."

"There was that," he admitted with a self-deprecating smile.

"That smile doesn't work on me. Besides, you're surrounded by Slytherins now."

"I find that I don't mind anymore." He squeezed her hand. "I might have been a little short sighted."

"A little?" 

"A lot? I can't imagine my life without so many Slytherins now, and God, it's so strange, but you're my sister-in-law. We had a wedding, lots of discussion and I think it's just hit me. Al is married and is going to be a father. That's just-"

"It took you long enough. You really are as self-centred as Albus says, aren't you? This is why you fit so well with us," she joked. "Come on, Mr. I'm Better Than A God. Time to do some manual labour."

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: New Arrivals  
** 2 November, 2025  
Prompt 89: Work – Getting the News 

"Sorry I'm late," Albus said as he entered the family dining room for breakfast. Everyone was already seated with food on their plates. "Mum firecalled. Victoire went into labour and since they timed the pregnancies, Dom, Louis' wife and Fred's wife are being induced so that the children can be born on the same day."

Draco winced. "Why would you want to do that?"

Albus shrugged. "Because they want them to be like twins. Or to annoy your older brother," he said looking at James, leaving Draco was even more confused by the answer. "Mum wanted everyone to know. I'm going to work. If anyone wants to go and wait with the nervous fathers, feel free. And Jamie, Teddy wanted to know if you'll show your face."

"When have I ever missed the birth of any of his children? Besides, four of my cousins are having children, I'll be there," he said with a smile.

"You do know that they aren't your kids, right?" Lucy said. "Victoire's first took sixteen hours; you didn't have to be there the entire time. That's not normal."

"No one ever said that Jamie is normal," Albus answered with a grin.

"They're family. Of course I'll be there, and you make it sound like it was such a great sacrifice. It's just Teddy's two and Victoire was only in labour for an hour with Nymphadora," James said. "We'll see what happens this time around, with four of them."

"Do we know what incredibly inventive name they will give this child?" Narcissa asked.

Albus, Lucy and James stared at each other for a moment. "Arthur," James finally said.

"Merlin's balls, can they come up with anything better?" Lucius asked.

"Louis and Dom probably will. They are going with French names from what they said, but they haven't shared yet," Albus said. "We'll see about Fred. He hasn't said."

"Well, Jamie, you can firecall us when they are born, because I'm joining Al and going to work. It's bad enough that they keep telling me that I have to slow down now that I've told them I'm pregnant. Really, you'd think I'm an invalid and not pregnant."

"I don't know," Sophie started. "I'm perfectly all right with letting others do the heavy work. Jamie was so very helpful with moving the furniture."

"While you did your nails. You could have used magic," James said.

"And miss watching you, the way your muscles bunch up, the sheen of sweat over your body-"

"Hey!" Albus looked at her, but he knew that this was her way of teasing James and wasn't really upset.

"Sorry, love, but he is a nice specimen, in a totally caveman sort of way. It's not like I was interested in anything other than watching. Besides, Uncle Draco would kill me," she said with a smile.

Draco shook his head. "Good thing I love you or I still might."

"And I wouldn't do it to you," she added, still looking at Albus.

"Good to know that I come second in that list," he said, chuckling, before kissing her. "Anyway, I'm late for work." He got up and picked up a scone from the plate. "See you later.

**Prompt 29: Birth – Five Bundles of Joy**

The wizarding population was small and contained. The maternity ward at St. Mungo's was tiny and rarely saw more than one or two births a day. Today, they had five newborns, including a set of twins, and they all belonged to the same family.

The children were in a small nursery with a viewing glass. James was standing there, looking at them. It wasn't hard to figure out who belonged to whom. Arthur was currently sporting blue hair and pink eyes. Fred's twins, Fabian and Gideon, had curly black hair and light brown skin. Louis's daughter, Celeste, had the same blond hair as both of her parents. Dominique's daughter, Margaux, had red hair like her father, but Dom's white skin and a few freckles.

"Hey." Teddy joined James in front of the window.

"Hey yourself. How's Victoire?"

"She's doing fine. She's a pro at this, but I think she's ready to send everyone home. You have my grandmother, the Weasleys, the Delacours, the Woods, the McLaggens, the Peakes, and now Draco and his mother," he said. 

James grinned. "It's a Gryffindor reunion in there, with enough Quidditch players to make people swoon."

"That it is." Teddy put an arm around James. "What about you? Your dad told us about-"

James sighed. "I told him to let you guys know. I wanted to do it myself, but then I thought just how overwhelming our family can be. I figure this will give me some time to deal with it, and then you and your lovely wife provided the perfect distraction. And look who's here, my favourite cousins."

"You say that to all of us," Fred said, coming to stand on the other side of James, with Louis next to him.

"What am I chopped liver?" asked Ethan, son of Oliver Wood, married to Dom and current keeper of the national team.

"You're my favourite, too," James said, chuckling. 

"Although you must hate us. You know that now that Molly, Lucy and Al are expecting, and Rose and Roxanne are engaged, grandma is never going to leave you alone," Louis said.

"I know, but she's wasting her time."

"James Sirius Potter – Most Eligible Bachelor, and the one who doesn't want to settle down," Fred said with a smirk that he'd learned from his father.

James stared at those beautiful babies, something that he'd never have, but he found that he was okay with that. "I'm gay," he said. He hadn't planned to say it, not yet, and he'd realized that he'd never really told anyone but Draco, since the other people had guessed, but it felt good to be the one to say the words.

Four heads turned his way. "You're what?" Louis finally asked. "How's that possible? We've been hearing for years about your conquests."

"Told you never to believe what you hear," James said with a smile. "It's amazing how well you can stay in the closet when people can't stop making up shit about you."

Teddy squeezed James' shoulder and James rested his head against Teddy. "You should have told us sooner. We would have helped."

"I should have done a lot of things, Teddy. Guess Al was right. Not that any of you is allowed to tell him," James said.

"To the only Slytherin in the family. Never," Fred teased. "You never said why he was right anyway."

"I'm not really good at asking for help."

Four fake gasps echoed in the hallway. "Really?" Teddy asked, with a chuckle. "We never knew that. Did we, boys?"

Ethan snorted. "Pretty sure even the ghosts and portraits at Hogwarts knew that."

Draco walked out of the room to see the babies and felt a stab of jealousy when he saw the way Teddy and James were standing. He pushed it down, knowing that it was utterly ridiculous. Teddy was straight and loved his wife, and somehow Draco still wanted to hex him.

He put his best smile on. "Teddy, gentlemen, congratulations," he said.

"Thanks, Draco." Teddy let go of James and shook Draco's hand. "Isn't he beautiful? Well, all of them, obviously."

Draco chuckled. "You're the father. You can be partial, although-" He looked at the five babies and his eyes went to the very pale, very blond child that belonged to Louis. "Your wife said her name is Celeste. She is beautiful."

James laughed. "And you're not baised at all. She could be a Malfoy." He put an arm around Draco and kissed him. He smiled when he pulled back. "I told them."

Draco blinked. He wasn't used to being affectionate in public, not after learning how easily it could back fire. "Unless you want to tell the rest of the wizarding world through a picture on the front page of some paper, I suggest that you refrain from doing this until you tell everyone you care about. Possibly your sister?" James rolled his eyes, but let go.

"No, no, no," Fred said. "He did not tell us that. He said that he was gay. He never said that he's settled down. Jamie doesn't do relationships."

Draco snorted. "Yes, I'm aware of that. We haven't been doing a relationship for over a year."

"How could you?" Teddy looked at the two, wide-eyed. "You kept this from me for over a year? You? You being with someone for six days would have qualified as big news. Six weeks, we'd thrown a huge party."

"Six months, you're practically married in this family," Louis said, chuckling.

"Sorry?" James said, not sounding really sorry. "Hard to mention the relationship without mentioning the person, and you're a curious lot, nagging all the time. Really, I just saved you a year of being annoyed because I wouldn't tell you who it was."

"Heard him, lads? He was doing it for us," Ethan said, laughing. "You're always so kind."

"And since I am the best cousin you all have, you won't say anything just yet. Uncle Ron is going to kill me when he finds out."

"No, he'll kill me. Or try to," Draco said.

James laughed. "Maybe. Still I want to tell all the cousins first-"

"And Lily," Teddy put in.

"I'll tell her and Hugo when they come back from Hogwarts. I don't want to do it by owl. Then I'll move to all the Uncles and Aunts. Maybe in another ten years, I might even tell Grandma."

Fred kept looking at the way James kept staring at the children why he talked, and no one could say that he hadn't inherited his father's inclination for mischief. "Say, boys, what do you say that we sneak James into the nursery and let him hold our children?"

"They have spells to prevent those sorts of things," Draco said.

Louis, Fred and James looked at each other, grinning. "Learnt how to undo them when Nymphadora was born," Louis said.

"Considering that my family is a member of the board of this hospital, I'm going back inside and I'll pretend that there isn't a major breach of security." Draco would have to speak to Potter later and see what they could do to ensure that no one else could attempt whatever these miscreants were attempting. 

**Prompt 83: And – Quiet Confessions**

"And you're still here," Teddy said as he walked into the nursery and found James sitting on one of the chairs with Celeste in his arms.

"Fred let me in and cast a _Confundo_ spell in case any mediwitch comes around, although I think they have given up with the horde of Weasleys." He looked down at the sleeping baby, smiling. "I'm waiting for Al. He's running late at work and then he'll take me home." He looked up at Teddy. "Not having magic sucks."

"I'm sure, but how much is the magic and how much is that you're dependent on others at the moment?" Teddy asked.

"Both," James admitted honestly. "I hate this with every fibre of my body. I hate always waiting for someone to help me."

"What about a cure?" Teddy asked.

"I don't know to be honest. Draco keeps saying that he'll find something, and if there's one person I trust, it's him, but even he's not a God, even if he thinks otherwise."

"I don't know how I didn't see it before. You smile every time you mention him," Teddy said. "You at the manor, at his birthday party. I guess I should have put two and two together, but you've never said anything, and all the talk about girls."

"What was I supposed to say, Teddy? When it finally clicked, I was sixteen, confused and you were my first crush. Luckily, Draco knocked some sense into me before I did something stupid, like telling you," he said with a chuckle. "Now it's just seems funny, because it wasn't real. You were- you are like a brother to me, sometimes I feel like you're more of a brother than Al is, so you were safe in a way that no one else was."

Teddy picked up Arthur and sat next to Jamie. "Still, it couldn't have been easy to keep this secret for this long."

"Draco is the first person I told, right before going back for my last year at school. He's been listening to me for years. I guess we were always destined to get to this point, because I've always felt comfortable going to him." He chuckled and then looked down to ensure that he wasn't disturbing the baby. "He's had to listen to all my whining, my break-ups, my bitching, but he's always been there, no matter what."

"Sounds like you love him," Teddy said.

"I do. I really do, Teddy, and it scares me. What if he can't find a cure? Do I really want him to be stuck with someone who's a Squib? I thought I could break-up with him, and then trying to kill myself, and-"

"Don't you think you should let Draco decide? He's not the selfless type, Jamie. If he's still with you, it's because he wants to be with you," Teddy said.

"Do you know the silver lining about this curse? Everyone is so worried that I'll break apart that no one is saying anything about Draco's age, name, house or any other reason why we shouldn't be together."

Teddy snorted. "Wait until Ron finds out."

James laughed. "I suppose so." He caressed the baby's cheek with the back of his finger. "They are so precious."

"Until they grow up," Teddy said, chuckling. "Remus has been complaining that his godfather isn't spending enough time with him."

James sighed. "I know. Since this case came up, I've spent all my time working and now- Draco has put me on research duty since I've gone back to the manor. I'll tell you what though, after you go back home, you can bring me all three and I'll take care of them for a few hours, give you and Victoire some time alone."

"You don't know what you're saying. One is fine. Two are possible. Three are a nightmare," Teddy said.

"Nah, I can play with two toddlers and Arthur won't be doing much of anything other than eating and sleeping for a while. If everything else fails, there's Draco, Albus, Lucy, Scorpius, Sophie, Mrs. Malfoy and plenty of house elves. Not that I'll need them; the kids and I will be fine," James said.

"You'll be a good father one day," Teddy said.

James snorted. "Did you miss the part that I'm gay and dating Draco?"

"No, but that doesn't mean that you can't have children. There are ways."

"If you say anything about spells to get men pregnant, I will hurt you," James said.

Teddy laughed. "Not where my mind was going with this. Surrogates, adoption, there are ways that you can have a child and still be with Draco, but first you have to tell everyone."

"I guess. I don't know, Teddy. Mum and Dad guessed and went to Draco for confirmation. Same with Al, Sophie, Lucy and Scorpius. Mrs. Malfoy guessed and came to me for confirmation."

"I guess living at the manor was a dead give-away," Teddy said.

"Guess so. Today was the first time that I've said the words, because I wanted to. I need time to get used to this part of me, and then move onto the part where I'm not a wizard anymore. After that- I don't know yet. Maybe one day there'll be children, but not now."

Teddy reached out and squeezed James' shoulder. "Whenever you're ready, and you will be, you'll be a great father."

"Oi, you two, are you holding babies or sharing feeling?" Albus shouted from outside.

James rolled his eyes while flipping two fingers in Albus' direction. "I guess my ride is here. I'll come by tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jamie."

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Making Plans  
** 6 November, 2025  
Prompt 02: Middles 

"I can't believe this," Ron said as he and Harry walked toward Malfoy manor.

"Which part?" Harry asked.

"All of it. Jamie trying to kill himself, being gay, being with Malfoy." He shook his head. "Are you sure that he didn't do anything?"

Harry smiled affectionately. "Malfoy didn't do anything, and you weren't supposed to know about that part until Jamie tells Lily."

Ron huffed. "Are you mad? In this family? You'd better take Jamie to Hogwarts sooner rather than later. There's no way that this kind of information is staying secret."

"He means well," Harry said, laughing. "He had this plan on who to tell and when, but then he just blurted it out."

"What do you expect? He's your son and Ginny's. We've always needed Hermione for the planning."

"Not true. We needed you for the plans. We needed her to keep us from following our emotions after we made the plans. Jamie is exactly like you," Harry said, smiling at his best friend. "And he values the opinion of his godfather. Please, be careful with him. As much as you want to rant right now, he's still fragile."

"Harry, I'm not going to go off on him."

"No, but you'll go off on Malfoy and that's just as bad right now."

Ron shook his head. "Can't I at least hex him a little?"

Harry chuckled. "Sorry, but the Minister would frown at Aurors hexing civilians for no reason other than they are an arse."

"Fine, take all the fun away." Ron knocked on the door, and a house elf opened it in seconds. There was a staring contest and then the house elf stepped aside.

"Laddey takes Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley to the master. Follow Laddey."

Ron leaned into Harry. "Even their house elves sound snotty." Harry bit his lips to stop from laughing, before following the house elf to Draco's study. "Doesn't this look like a cave."

"If a cave had artifacts worth a fortune, then yes," Draco answered. "To what do I owe the dubious pleasure? Unless you're here to see your family. Al and Lucy are still at the ministry and Jamie is helping Sophie with something or other, but I just think that she enjoys watching him do physical labour."

"He's not a house elf," Ron half-yelled.

"I don't think it's the labour she's after as much as the view," Draco said with a chuckle. "Plus, they keep each other company when everyone is busy."

"We're here to see you." Harry took a seat. "We ran the name you gave us. The Cresswell brothers are two half-bloods-"

"Who knew that half-bloods would prove more annoying than Muggleborns," Draco muttered.

"Yes, well, we do have a history of creating problems," Harry said with what might have been an amused smile under different circumstances. "Their father Dirk was killed by Snatchers during the war. The mother and sons moved to Bulgaria and the children were enrolled in Durmstrang."

"They were in school with us?" Draco asked with a frown. "I don't remember them."

"Neither do we," Ron admitted. "They were Ravenclaws, three and five years younger than us."

"That explains why I don't remember them," Draco said with a shrug. "But you're not here to tell me about them since I don't care, so why are you here?"

"You said that your friend is a known book collector. Should he put something in the market for them to buy-"

"Absolutely not." Draco cut Harry off before he could continue. "Theo would not be able to deal with two Dark wizards and I'm not putting him in the middle of this even to help Jamie."

"Or you could let me finish. If he could put something on the market and then provide us with his hair, I can polyjuice into him."

Draco snorted. "You? Pass for a Slytherin? Be serious. You can't even speak like one of us."

"Well, Malfoy, since we're the only people who know about this, we don't have many options. Unless you're volunteering." There was a hint of a dare in Ron's voice. 

Draco should have known better. It was like being back in school, being goaded into doing something extremely stupid, knowing that it would end badly, but not being able to resist the dare. "I'm going to regret this, but neither one of you will be able to pass for Theo. I can do it and Potter can come as back up. We'll get him polyjuice as well. I can use Greg's hair. It wouldn't seem strange for Theo to bring someone more… inclined to violence."

"I can't believe he's free," Ron said.

"His only crime was to following me around to make sure I killed Potter. You can't send people to Azkaban for that."

"He tried to _KILL_ us," Ron answered.

Draco waved a hand. "He didn't. Vince did and he died. Greg is… Greg. He's not a genius, but he's pretty handy if there's a fight. Besides, we're not actually taking him, are we? So I don't know why you're complaining, Weasley."

"Fine." Harry got up. "Have Nott put the word out and then we'll go. I want these two dealt with."

"Potter, I know what I said, but we can't kill them. At least not both. I need to get into their heads and find out about the horcruxes and what they did to Jamie." He also wasn't sure that he _could_ kill anyone. He hadn't spent the years after the war going after Dark wizards like the other two had.

"Don't worry, Malfoy. I'm thinking that Ron here is going to get them to hex him while we stop them. With our testimony, there's enough proof to send them to Azkaban without a public trial. We won't need any other evidence, so you can use legilimency and nothing we find will have to be reported," Harry reassured him.

"And we don't tell Hermione until after the trial or she'll have our arses for not giving them the presumption of innocence or whatever other nonsense she's rambling about. Bloody Muggle laws."

Draco smirked at Ron's reaction, but smartly didn't say anything. "I'll speak to Theo and I can assure you that I won't say anything to Granger."

"Good, let me know when you hear something." Harry and Ron walked toward the door. With a hand on the handle, Harry turned around and looked at Draco. "Malfoy, when we're done with this, you and I are going to have a talk. About Jamie."

"Potter-"

"No, right now, we're catching these two and curing my son. Afterwards, we'll talk."

"I can't wait." The sarcasm was wasted on Harry who ignored him and left the house.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Facing Yourself  
** 15 November, 2025  
Prompt 88: School – A Woman's Prospective 

"My Li-Lu." James moved toward the booth that her sister had commandeered in an otherwise full Three Broomsticks.

It was the last Hogsmeade weekend before the Christmas holidays. As a rule, James avoided Hogsmeade when students were around, but his father had insisted that he go and talk to Lily and then Hugo. To make things easier, Ron had taken him there, since Harry's presence would have attracted even more attention.

"I've got us beer," she said, getting up to hug her brother. "And you know I hate that name."

"But poor Albus would be so upset to hear you say that." When she had been born, Al had tried to tell people her name, but for a two-year-old, the name was too long and it turned into Li-Lu. Seventeen years later, James still used it to annoy her; he doubted Al cared one whit about the usage.

"Why did you want to see me?" she asked, sitting down.

"What? A brother can't want to spend time with her lovely sister?" James sat on the opposite side and reached out to take her hands in his. "I've missed you."

"Now, you're worrying me. Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"Put a privacy spell up."

She reached for her wand and did as he asked. "This is weird. Usually I have to ask you to put up spells in public in case the press sees me casting spells while underage."

"You're not underage anymore." Not that being underage had stopped James when he was younger, but he'd always been very careful in Hogsmeade.

"Talk, before I start using other spells I know."

James bit his lip. "I'm okay, but… I'm not dealing well with not having magic."

"Shocking," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"And I tried to kill myself."

Lily pulled her hands away and crossed her arms around her. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's the truth, because in our family things never stay secret, because I wanted you to hear it from me, but mostly because I've realised that I've kept too many secrets from everyone and it's not helping me," he admitted.

Before she could question him, a flash went off and both their hands went in front of their faces out of habit, to stop whoever from taking their picture.

"Oi, Jamie, it's you and your sister," the reporter said.

"Hey, Jacob." James smiled. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it's just my sister. No secret love affair here."

"That's all right. Man needs to try, he does. Care to say why you aren't at the Ministry lately."

James smiled. "You know better than to ask me that. Any Auror business needs to be cleared by the boss. Try talking to my father."

Jacob snorted. "He won't answer. Never lets me take a picture of him."

Lily smiled at him. "How about we let you take a picture? You can let people know that we're discussing which team I want to play with when I'm done with school."

"You'll let me do that? Mighty kind of you, Lily."

"Sure, but then I'd like to talk to Jamie before having to go back to school." She leaned forward and James did the same, smiling. They let him take the picture and watched him go.

"I hate when they call me Jamie, like they know me," he said with a sigh.

"You knew his name," Lily pointed out.

"Always know their names. They think you're friends and they'll give you a break when they can. I try to memorise wives, husbands, children, anything that can distract them. You should keep a little list when you start playing. Mum can help you with the sport reporters."

Lily nodded. "Back to the important discussion. These secrets?"

James got up and sat next to her. He took her hand in his. "I'm gay."

"Okay, now you're taking the Mickey. The suicide was strange enough, but gay? No way."

He smiled. "Mum and Dad say that I can't lie, but I think I'm pretty good. They are the only ones who caught on."

"So you're gay and you tried to kill yourself." Every word was enunciated slowly, her brows furrowing more with each word. "It's just- I don't care that you're gay. I never want to hear about your conquests, male or female, but you lied to me."

"I didn't lie per se."

"Bollocks! You made me think that you were dating all of those girls when we were younger. That's as good as lying," she said.

James put an arm around her. "I was… ashamed, Lily. I wasn't trying to lie, but I thought I was expected to. We're Weasleys, we get married and have children."

She rolled her eyes. "We're Potters. We do whatever we want. You need to put that through your thick skull of yours. Al became a Slytherin, is married to a beautiful Slytherin and lives at Malfoy manor. Me? I have no intention of getting married and popping out children. I'm going to be a Quidditch star and I'm not going to retire in my prime to have kids. I'll have one, maybe two when I'm in my late thirties. Anyone has a problem, they can bugger off. I'm having fun seeing… a few people. That reminds me, I have to leave soon. I'm seeing Nikola Krum in a bit."

"Krum? Bulgarian nation team Krum? Twenty-four-year-old Krum?" He glared at her. "He's older and always with a different woman."

"Puddlemore captain Krum, yes," she said. "I met him when I was invited to their training camp last summer. We flirted, he made a pass, I told him that it's sex only. We get a room at the Hog's Head Inn on Hogsmeade weekends. I'm not interested in more. He has his women and I have my boys."

James stared at her and then started to laugh.

"Have you lost your plot, Jamie?" 

He shook his head, trying to stop from laughing. "I've just realised that even being gay, I'm still the most normal child Mum and Dad have."

"Just because I don't want to spend my youth pregnant, it doesn't mean I'm not normal. It just means that I don't do what they want me to do." She raised her eyebrows. "And what has Al done? He's married and Sophie is pregnant."

"She was pregnant before the marriage, but that's-" He shook his head. "You'll have to ask Albus. Let him know that he's the one who suggested openness and sharing if he doesn't answer."

"Keeping secrets from me. You're so mean. You know I could make you talk," she said coyly.

"But you won't, because I'm your poor brother who's been turned into a squib and is reliant on everyone," he answered.

" _Please_ , that pity party doesn't work with me. You're Jamie who wants to be perfect and is pissed because he can't be at the moment. Boo hoo, welcome to life for all of us," she said.

The words weren't different from what Al had said, but there wasn't any bitterness in her voice. "Is it been hard to be my sister?"

Lily shrugged. "It was worse for Al. He looks like Dad, had you always around. The fact that I'm a girl actually helps. No one expects me to be like Dad or you. All right so, time for me-"

"Actually, there's something else. You know when I said I'm normal, it's because I've been in a serious relationship with someone for a year. With Draco."

"Malfoy?" She started to laugh before smacking his arm. "He's Dad's age, and you were questioning me and Nicolai, how? Seriously, Jamie, what passes through your brain?"

"That you're my sister and he's a bloke and they only want one thing."

"Actually no. They are so terribly boring. Do you know how many people wanted something serious?" she said, rolling her eyes. "It's extremely hard to find someone who accepts that a woman might just want sex. Nicolai understands that my career is more important than him. Boys at Hogwarts aren't always as understanding."

"Do be careful. You don't want some idiot to ruin your reputation." 

"My reputation?" she hissed. "You were screwing imaginary girls and you got high-fived at Hogwarts. I still remember that. People were high-fiving you when _you_ were ruining some poor girl's reputation and apparently you never screwed any of them, you just screwed them over. Don't worry, though. I know how to make them take oaths. I learned plenty from you."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not me you have to apologise to, but all those girls whose lives you ruined to maintain your perfect image as a heartthrob." She shook her head and pushed him to get up. "Jamie, I love you and I'm glad that you're all right, but you're a prick. You've been a prick to so many girls and being afraid to come out isn't an excuse for misogyny. I'm going to need some time to- to- I don't know, not want to hex you."

James scooted over and let her get up. "I really am sorry and I'll find a way to make it up to you and them."

She patted his chest. "I hope so. I'll see you for Christmas."

James finished his beer before joining his cousin and uncle at Honeydukes. Hopefully that would go slightly better.

**Prompt 70: Storm - Brooding**

"You've been quiet all evening." Draco could see the storm brewing inside Jamie. He paid a lot more attention now and it was obvious that James shouldn't be left alone to stew.

He got into bed and put an arm around James. Gone were the days where he put pyjamas on. He'd never considered sleeping naked until James had become a permanent fixture in his bed, and now they lay skin against skin.

"My sister thinks that I was a misogynistic prick who ruined girls' reputations to keep my cover," he said as he slid closer to Draco.

"And were you?"

James made a face, but then nodded. "I didn't do it on purpose, you know? I was so focused on me that I never thought about the consequences for them. It's more than that. I lose my magic and suddenly it's like everything is crumbling. All the shitty things I did are coming up to light, thing that no one brought up before."

Draco started to laugh. "Oh, Jamie, you were a teenager. Of course you did shitty things. The point is to learn now that you're not a teenager. Instead of turning everything into a major catastrophe, you learn and move on."

"And try to make amends. You have. Working with the Ministry, destroying Dark objects."

"I was guilty of much bigger sins," Draco said. "It has also taken me decades. Do you know what your problem is? You see a problem and you want to fix it right this instant, but life isn't like that. Sometimes you need time and you also need to give time to other people to adjust. You can't hit the brakes, swerve and expect the world to follow you. Just like you can't go up to these women and say 'sorry if I made people think we were screwing so they wouldn't know I was gay'."

"How did you-"

"Know? Because I know you. Three weeks ago you were certain that you didn't want to tell anyone you were gay. Then you had a plan to tell people after Christmas. Now, your entire family knows." Draco sighed. "This is why I tried to stop you at St. Mungo's. You don't give yourself time to think, like you're too afraid to take the time, but going up to these women isn't going to help them in any way. That's just for you to feel better. Instead, just wait a bit longer. Learn to live with being out and without magic."

"I don't want to think about this anymore."

"Shocking." Draco smiled affectionately.

James kissed him, nipping his lip before plunging in for another kiss, sudden and demanding, hand on Draco's cock, bringing it to life. "Turn around. I want to fuck you," he whispered. "Want to push my dick so far into you that you can't think."

Draco's hand cupped James' cheek. "I love you."

"Draco, I need-"

"I know, love. You need to stop thinking and fucking is a good way to do it, but I won't let you forget who you're fucking and why, because when we're done, then you'll feel even worse." Draco kissed him gently. "Get the lube and we'll fuck, but no need to put on a show for me."

He turned around to grab his wand. "Nox." The torches went dark, leaving the light from the fireplace. Before he could return the wand to its place, he felt James' body pressed against his back. 

"Can you make a mirror?" James asked. 

Draco caught on quickly and cast a spell. A mirror appeared to the side of the bed, the fire gave their reflections a red tinge. Draco put the wand away and then reached back, his hand running down James' side. Their eyes met in the mirror and James whispered, "I love you too."

It was all that needed to be said. They let their bodies talk. James opened Draco's body up with slow touches, anticipation building for both of them and when he pushed his cock inside the tight channel, they were feverish with need. 

Their bodies rocked in a sensual dance, slow and passionate, with sudden increases of tempo, before slowing down again to enjoy the moment. Hands slid against sweaty skin until they were immersed in a sea of sensations. Their eyes never wavered, fixed on each other like their world had narrowed down to the two of them. Not a word was exchanged as desire pooled inside them, slow but inexorable, threatening to erupt with the gentlest of touches.

"Draco-" Murmured like a prayer, it shattered the silence of their room.

Draco took James' hand and wrapped their joined hands around his cock, stroking it with the same infuriating slowness of James' thrusts and when he reached that sweet edge, he closed his eyes and threw his head back.

"Open your eyes."

Draco obeyed, focused on James once more. He was the first to come, orgasm slamming through him with a fury that rivalled the gentleness of their love making. He was still shaking from the intensity of it all when James came with a loud sob. Neither closed his eyes, still watching each other as they came down from the high.

Draco summoned his wand and cleaned them up with a spell. Wand back on the night stand, he squeezed arm. "Feeling better?"

James laughed. "Ask me when I can think again." He kissed Draco's shoulder. "You're the one thing I'm sure of."

"Good. Now, let's get some sleep."

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Children  
** 24 November, 2025  
Prompt 81: How? - Child's Play 

"How does he do it?" Scorpius asked from the couch. 

It was Saturday afternoon and they were in the drawing room, which for the occasion had been transformed into a playroom, with too many toys spread all around the usually neat room.

"Remus or Jamie?" Al asked from another couch, where he was lying with his head on Sophie's lap.

"Pretty sure he means Jamie," Lucy said, chuckling.

"He's been playing with them for two hours. Is that even human?" Sophie asked with a frown. "He does know that there are house elves, yes?"

" _He_ is right here in the room with you and I can hear you." James didn't stop playing as he spoke, giving Remus a pony ride while tossing the ball in Nymphadora's direction.

"I need a vacation after watching," Scorpius said.

"You lot are impossible," James said as he grabbed Remus and tossed him in the air, making the little boy giggle. "You're having fun, right? Yes, you are. Oh, oh what is that? Little Arthur is waking up. You'll have to play with Dora for a while, while we feed your baby brother." He put Remus down and went to the cradle to pick up the baby.

"You really need to ask for a house elf," Sophie said. "You can borrow mine if Draco's are busy."

"Tolly isn't busy, but I told Teddy I'd take care of the kids for a while." He held the baby with one hand while pulling out a bottle. "One of you, do something useful and end the chilling spell?"

Albus rolled his eyes, but he got up and not only did he end the spell, but warmed it up. He put a hand on James' shoulder while he watched his brother feed the baby. "You're good with them."

"You'll be good with your own," James answered.

"I know, but that's because he's mine." Albus never saw children and thought how cute they were. He held Teddy's babies, because they were Teddy's and told his cousins the right thing when the five children were born, but he had no interest in holding them or playing with them. "You're good with all of them."

"And he can babysit any time he wants," Sophie said. "In fact, he can babysit even while we're here."

James snorted. "I'm not your house elf. I know you don't seem to understand this simple fact, but I'm not here to take care of things for you." He looked down at Arthur who was slowing down. "Time to burp you before you puke everything right back out." He grabbed a cloth and put it on his shoulder while he put the baby upright.

"If I weren't married, I'd totally marry you," Scorpius said with a smirk.

"Who would you marry?" Draco asked as he came into the room.

"Jamie. He's the perfect Mum."

James flipped two fingers in Scorpius' direction. "I like kids, sue- No, Remus, you can't pull Dora's hair." He crouched down and tried to get Dora's hair disentangled from Remus' fingers, a task that wasn't easy while using only one hand, because he was still holding Arthur.

"Is any of you going to help him?" Draco asked amused at the way the other four were simply staring.

Lucy shook her head. "It's much more fun like this. He's been doing a great job for the past two hours. Three kids, no magic, really the perfect Mum indeed."

"I want to see when you have your own children." He went to help James. "Remus, if you make your sister cry, I will hex you and make you cry."

"Draco!" James stared at his lover.

"What? He did let go, didn't he?" Draco said with a shrug. 

"Is this what you told Scorpius?"

"Of course not, he was an only child and he couldn't pull anyone's hair. Do keep up, Jamie," Draco answered with a smirk.

"You're a horrible person," James said, laughing. "And no one is hexing anyone else."

"Oh stop worrying. Finish feeding that child and then have one of the house elves change his diaper. Then you can keep playing with the little monsters." Draco sat on an armchair and a moment later a cup of tea appeared in front of him. "Why are they here again?"

"No reason. I told Teddy that he and Victoire could have some time alone and apparently Remus has missed spending time with his godfather, so here they are." James was now sitting on the floor, feeding Arthur with one hand, while Remus tried to climb his back and Dora was tossing the big ball in his direction. "They'll pick them up in a bit anyway. It's not like I have them all day. Think about poor Victoire, with Teddy at work all day long."

Lucy snorted. "No one told her to have three of them so close."

"Grandma did," Albus put in, laughing.

"She does go and help. Grandma I mean. Now that Grandpa has passed she spends time with Victoire." Lucy didn't know how Victoire had the patience to deal with three children and their grandmother. "So will you tell her? Jamie, don't pretend you didn't hear me. Will you tell her about you being gay?"

"I… don't know. I wrote Uncle Charlie, so everyone else officially knows. Uncle Ron hasn't killed Draco, which is a great win in my book. I was thinking of waiting until after the holidays."

Draco stifled a laugh behind the cup of tea. "You'll never last that long. I'm shocked you've lasted this long."

"I know!" Albus stared at his brother. "I was so sure he'd announced it to the world in big, glittery letters on the cover of Witch Weekly. They _love_ him there."

"Wizard Attitude will love him more when he comes out," Sophie added, giggling. "How soon before the first shirtless cover?"

"And what would you know about Wizard Attitude?" Albus asked her.

"Oh love, they have the best naked blokes in there. They should stop marketing it to gay wizards only. I know plenty of witches that subscribe to it. Who care about advice columns about how to get your man? If a man doesn't have the good sense to see how amazing I am, I don't see why I should waste my time."

"Here, here," Lucy said. "Although I'm not sure I want to see Jamie in there. Not good for my libido."

Draco put the cup down. "And with that, I'm going back to my study."

**Prompt 79: When? – Forever, Maybe**

"When did the kids leave?" Draco asked when James entered his study.

"Just a few minutes ago. Teddy says thanks for letting them stay here," he said as he went to the chair and straddled Draco.

"I didn't do any of the work." Draco put his arms around James and pulled him closer. "Much better."

James rewarded him with a smile and a kiss. "You've been hiding."

"I was about to hex them and I didn't think it was a good idea, considering that they are pregnant," he admitted. "I've never been very good at sharing."

"I'm yours and yours alone." 

"Hold on." Draco tightened his hold and Apparated them to the couch where they could be more comfortable. He lay down and James settled between his legs. "I thought one day you'd get bored, maybe you still will, but for as long as we're together, there's no one else. If you ever want to explore-"

"Draco, stop. I'm not interested in anyone else. I don't want to explore. I don't want threesomes or foursomes. I don't want casual sex. I'll leave all of that to Al and Lily. I'm- I guess I am too much of a Weasley." He ran his fingers through Draco's long hair, smiling. "Remember that day, back last year, we were only together for a month or so, and we were joking and I said that if you were a woman I'd propose already, because that was my longest relationship? It wasn't really a joke. I knew back then that I'd want to spend my life with you, but now-"

"If you tell me it's because of your magic, I'll hex you," Draco said.

"It's… I'm still adjusting, okay? I couldn't warm up Arthur's milk or make Dora levitate, or the hundreds of other things I used to do without thinking. I can't think about forever with you as long as I can't think of forever with myself. Does it make sense?"

Draco didn't like it, but he understood, or thought he did. "I'm not one to deny myself what I want. You seem to be a masochist."

James rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "No, I'm a romantic. When we can finally talk about forever, I want it to be a happy moment."

"All right, I – unlike Gryffindors – have patience and can wait." Draco kissed James again, deepening the kiss.

When they came up for air, James grinned. "Good, because I came here to tell you that dinner is ready."

**Prompt 82: If – At Peace**

"If you want to have children, I can find ways," Draco said when they retired for the night.

James raised his eyebrows. "Where did that come from?"

"You've spent the day with those children. You've talked about them throughout dinner. Father was ready to hex you."

"That's because of the name Arthur, not because I like children," James pointed out as he began to undress.

"I know, but the point is that you mentioned the children constantly." Draco left his clothes on the floor, knowing that the house elves would take care of them, and got into bed. "I'm just saying that we can find ways."

James opened his mouth and then closed it again. "Remember what I said before dinner? Yes, that goes double for the possibility of children. You keep saying that I need to take time to deal with this, then give me the time, Draco. Giving me things to think about constantly isn't helping."

Draco stretched an arm and pulled James close when he got into bed. "Sorry. I know I keep pushing, but you don't do well when you're idle."

"It's not the same as before," James said, softly. "Coming out, talking to my family, it's helped. I know you've been telling me for ages, but I've been so afraid of telling my parents that I never considered how good it'd be to tell Teddy and all my cousins. They are all been so supportive and made it so normal at the same time."

"It is normal," Draco pointed.

"I know, but I needed time to believe it." He curled up next to Draco. "I do see a problem with children. I'm too knackered for sex."

Draco chuckled. "Get some sleep, love; you'll need it. Tomorrow it's Sunday and we'll be at the Burrow." With all those children, James would be even more tired.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Trap  
** 2 December, 2025  
Prompt 05: Outside – Catching Dark Wizards 

They were on a time table. The polyjuice would only work for so long and it would be strange if both of them would drink from a flask at the same time. Draco looked at Harry once more, trying to get used to the side of Greg at his back while dealing with a Dark wizard. It didn't bring back nice memories.

"We'll be fine," Harry said.

"Don't be nice. Greg wouldn't be," Draco said, while adjusting his voice to match Theo. "Time to go."

"Ron is already there, waiting for us under the invisibility cloak." Harry grabbed Draco's arm and Apparated both of them

They met outside, in a forest in Yorkshire. It was cold and Draco found another reason to curse these brothers. The meeting was set up for ten, but those arrogant wannabes didn't show up until quarter past. Neither he nor Harry bothered with the polyjuice, which made for a very short meeting.

"What?" One of them said as their appearance began to flicker.

"Surprise," Draco said and pulled out his wand. He waited as much as it cost him until they went for their wands and began casting spells. Potter had warned him that they needed the Cresswell brothers to go first. 

Blinding lights met in the darkness until one brother said "Cru-." Then all bets were off. Three wands, including Ron's, cast spells to stop them and within seconds, they were both down on the ground.

"I need to wake one of them up," Draco said. "Any preference."

Ron kicked one of them. "This one. He's not the one who tried to cast the killing curse."

"Good enough for me. _Rennervate_." A flash of brilliantly coloured red light appeared from his wand and hit the man. "Don't bother moving. You can't. _Legilimens_." No time for stealth now. Draco went in, bursting like a stampede, learning what he needed without worrying about privacy. When he was done, he got up. "I know where they are staying and where the horcruxes are."

"You can't do-"

" _Stupefy_!" Harry barely looked at the man as he cast a wandless spell. "Ron, call Teddy and Molly, get them straight to Azkaban. Do whatever paperwork they want and then officially call me. I'll go with Malfoy and we'll clean up."

"I'll buy you time," Ron said before grinning. "I can keep casting stunning spells while they are already stunned. That would make me feel better."

"You and me both," Draco answered. "Come on, Potter. Time for a little trip."

**Prompt 97: Writer's Choice - Left Behind**

"Ouch." James glared at Albus. "Why did you throw that?'

"You're such a drama queen. You'd think I threw a glass and not a pillow." He went and sat next to his brother. "What's gotten into you? You've been restless all night."

"Shouldn't you play with your friends?" James asked.

"Evasion. My dear brother, that's a sign that I'm right. What gives?" Albus asked.

"Nothing."

"Single word now. You're trying every tactic. Too bad I know you too well to believe you." Albus nudged James' shoulder. "You okay? Not thinking of offing yourself or something?"

"You're so sensitive. You should have been a Healer instead of a politician." James shook his head. "No, I'm not thinking of offing myself, thank you for your concern."

"So what's wrong? I know something is wrong."

James reached for his wand out of habit and then stopped. Albus saw it and put a privacy spell up without saying more. "This is what you were going for, yes? And do you know you can trust the other three people in this room?"

"I know, but I don't want them to worry, and you can't say anything. You have to swear it. This is too important," James said.

"Is this about your case, the one that has everyone in a state?" Albus didn't expect confirmation, not when no other case had ever gotten his father this tense. "I won't say anything."

"They found the Dark wizards. Draco, Dad and Uncle Ron set up a trap, but it's taking too long. Something is wrong. I just know it."

Albus took James's hand in his. "They are three of the most experienced and powerful wizards around. Even if one of them were injured, the other two would help and we'd know. I mean it's Dad. He killed Dark wizards with his forehead at eighteen months of age. He's a pro at this. He'll be fine. They'll all be fine. Come on, let's play chess and I'll even let you beat me."

James snorted. "You don't let me. I'm much better than you."

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that."

James followed Albus, but before they could sit down he pulled Al into a tight hug. "You're not so bad as the helpful brother."

"I learned from the best. Come on, hot shot. Let's play."

**Prompt 04: Inside – Searching the Cottage**

"It reminds me of Severus' house," Draco said as they stepped inside the cottage that the Cresswells had been using. "Severus' was cleaner. This way, they hid everything in their drawing room. Not very creative."

"You had fun tonight." Harry's comment out of nowhere.

"So did you. I'm not worrying if you'll turn into a Dark wizard, though," Draco said.

"Old habits." Harry began looking around the room. "You enjoy casting those spells."

"Yes and no. I enjoy duelling. I still do it with my parents and Scorpius. I've duelled with Jamie a few times. Father's reflexes aren't what they used to be, but the things he and Mother can come up with are fascinating," he admitted. "I love that part of it. I love studying the spells, both light and Dark. I don't enjoy watching people in pain, not anymore. A year with Aunt Bellatrix was more than enough."

Harry used his magic to flip the pages of what looked like a diary. "They wrote down what they were doing. We need to take this with us and destroy it after we go through it."

Draco found the first horcrux and levitated it to where he'd spread a blanket. "We don't even know if these are real horcruxes."

"We can figure it out at your house."

Draco looked back at Harry. "You're very calm about this."

He shrugged. "We captured them alive. Even if they die, they would need someone who knows the spell to bring them back to life and that person would have to make a personal sacrifice. The people who knew the spell are all dead or in Azkaban and the only one who might know who's free is your father, and I can't see him making a personal sacrifice to bring these two back."

"They didn't think things through, did they?"

"Mad men rarely do." Harry kept reading through the diary. "I think the horcruxes are real. They have been killing Muggles and with no Dark Mark, there was no way for the Ministry to know. A few dead Muggles in the entire country would barely raise any eyebrows. Fuck-"

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"The curse they cast on Jamie is from one of Voldemort's books. It's in here somewhere. Finish with those horcrux and then we need to tear the house apart."

**Prompt 68: Lightning – Blast From the Past**

In the end, they didn't have to tear anything apart. Even though they worked carefully through the many Dark objects that were around the house, they didn't have to wonder where the book was. It was lying casually on a night table in a bedroom.

Draco winced just as Harry said, "Here." 

"How did you know?" Draco asked, trying to stop the pain he was feeling.

Harry raised his bangs and showed the familiar lightning bolt. "This hasn't hurt since he died. Your arm?"

"Yours isn't as nefarious." Draco squeezed his arm. "Twenty-seven years later and we're still cleaning up their bloody mess."

"At least it's not our children doing it."

Draco carefully levitated the book and brought it all the way to the drawing room. "We have everything we need. You can have your Aurors take all of the other Dark objects and bring them to my house. I'll clean them up as soon as I've find a counter-curse."

**Prompt 69: Thunder – Clearing The Air**

Thunder echoed in the distance as they Apparated to the gate of Malfoy manor. "You didn't have to come. I won't abscond with the horcruxes."

Harry chuckled. "And here I thought you wanted to sacrifice yourself to bring them back to life."

"Only if I can keep on killing them."

"Liar."

"I suppose I am. Never could stomach killing people." Draco held the blanket from the four corners, with four horcruxes and two books wrapped in there. "The counter-curse is my priority. Granger can come and look at the horcruxes. If she has any ideas on how to destroy them, I'm all ears."

"She suggested the potion we used back during the war. She can tell you more than me about the details. She's the one who brewed it."

"Potions. That was an interesting class with you around," Draco said with a fond smile.

"All classes were interesting when we were paired up." Harry stared into the night, before turning to Draco. "It took us a while, but we worked well together tonight."

"We did."

"It's still not enough to make up for Jamie. Don't think I've forgotten."

"Forgotten what?" Draco snapped. "I did nothing wrong, Potter. I helped him, I listened, I advised, but I never acted improperly. He was the one to initiate this, well after he was an adult. I was the one who tried to slow him down, because he's so young and gorgeous and full of life."

"He could have anyone he wants."

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think that it scares me more than Voldemort ever could? I've lost a wife and it hurt like you wouldn't believe, and now I've found love again and I could lose him at any moment, but it's worth it. _He_ is worth it," Draco said. "I love him. He's too young, too famous, too Potter, too Gryffindorish, too everything I dislike and yet I can't imagine my life without him. So don't you stand there and pass judgment, because I won't let you cheapen what we have. I don't care if you're the bloody Saviour."

Harry listened in silence, arms crossed. "He's a boy. He's _my_ boy."

"He's your son and I understand that need to protect him, but he's not a boy. He's not as perfect as he'd like you to think, but he's hardly a boy."

"What about children? Jamie was made to be a father. Have you seen the way he plays with those newborns? I keep thinking that he'll kidnap them, while you? You keep bringing up that stupid idea about him getting pregnant."

Draco laughed. "Oh Potter, I have no idea if that's even a possibility and I haven't looked if it could be done. In fact, I have no intention of looking, but I do know Jamie. I have no intention of depriving him of a child. My life would have had no meaning without Scorpius and I won't take that experience away from him, but if I say that he should go out and have a child, he'll come up with a hundred reasons why it's not right. If I tell him about magic and men getting pregnant, he'll come up with a hundred ways he can have a child without affecting us."

"You're a sneaky b-"

"Slytherin is the word you're looking for," Draco said with a smirk, before growing serious again. "I want him happy, Potter, and he won't be happy unless he knows that you're all right with us. I'm not asking you to embrace our relationship, but at least see what that relationship is when he's not sick and if you have doubts, talk to me first. He really does worship the ground you walk on. He's a strong, stubborn and determined man, but the moment you come into the picture, he's an unsure child, looking for approval. Be careful with him."

"I hate you. I really do. Everything in me tells me that this is wrong, but then you talk- And I want to believe you, I really do, because I want him happy. I want to see that smile of his that lights up the room again." Harry took a deep breath. "You have both my sons in your house."

"They will always be your sons and you mean more to them that they are willing to admit. It's not an either or. We're different things to them."

Silence stretched between them as the thunder rolled closer. Finally, Harry extended a hand. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, but I wouldn't mind the advice."

Draco stared for a moment and then he remembered those very same words, minus the addendum, being exchanged when Harry had refused to shake his hand on their first night at Hogwarts. He took Harry's hand, chuckling. "Took us long enough to get here."

"Thirty-four years, but who's counting." Harry looked up. "It's starting to rain. You should get inside. I'll let you know what happens with the Cresswells."

**Prompt 93: Thanksgiving - Hope**

Draco ordered the house elf to bring the bundled blanket to his study, before going to the drawing room to meet his family. He barely opened the door when he found James in his arms.

"Thank Merlin, you're all right," James whispered. He pulled back and stared at Draco, who noticed the way Albus kept looking in their direction. "Everyone else?"

"Everyone is fine. Your uncle has them in Azkaban. Teddy and Molly helped him deliver them. Your father is on his way to the Ministry, pleased by such wonderful result." His smile grew bigger. "I found the curse in a book. I don't know if there's a counter-curse listed, but even if there isn't, with the curse, I can come up with a way to reverse it. I'll just take me a little longer."

James shut his eyes tight and breathed deeply. "I'm getting my magic back."

"I told you I'd find a way," Draco answered.

James shrugged. "I couldn't let myself hope. Hope made things worse." 

"Hey, Dad, can you detangle yourself and come and look at this board? Al says that it's checkmate in five. I say he needs at least another seven moves."

Draco kissed James before letting him go and approached the table where they were playing. He stared at the board for a while, putting a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "May I?"

She looked up and nodded. Draco moved his rook. "You're both wrong. It's checkmate for Lucy in four."

"I knew I was brilliant," she said, grinning. "Never saw that coming, which makes me even more brilliant. Dad will be so proud of me." She reached up and squeezed Draco's hand. "Everything okay?"

Draco chuckled. These children – and the four of them would always be children to him – were too smart for their own good. "Everyone is very okay and all of you can relax. Two Dark wizards in Azkaban, the good guys win again and I found the curse that they cast on Jamie. In fact, I'm going to my study and see if I can find a counter-curse." He sighed happily when he felt James' hands massaging his shoulder. "You need to stop if you want me to work."

"But I don't want you to. You can sleep tonight and look for a cure tomorrow. I can wait a few hours longer." Jamie kissed Draco's neck as his arm snaked around Draco's middle. "Let's go to bed, and I can thank you properly."

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: A New Dawn  
** 3 December, 2025  
Prompt 31: Sunrise - Early Birds 

James reached over with his eyes closed, but his hand hit the cold mattress. He blinked sleep away and stared at Draco who was standing by the window. "I don't like waking up alone."

Draco turned his head and smiled. "You don't like waking up. Your age shows in the morning."

"Hey, sleep is a very good thing. I hate early shifts at work." James stretched running a hand down his body, stopping as the edge of the sheet that was pooled low on his stomach. "Care to come back and keep me company."

"Not today, love. I'm headed to my study. I'll have the house elves bring me breakfast there." He didn't intend of leaving until he had a counter-curse or bedtime. He was aiming for the first.

James sighed disappointed. "For someone who doesn't have a job, you work insane hours. It's not healthy."

"My schedule has been impacted by a very gorgeous man who decided to take on a Dark wizard all on his own without asking for help and got hexed for his troubles." Draco moved to the mirror to ensure that he was properly dressed, before going to bed. With a knee on the mattress, he leaned forward to kiss James. "Go back to sleep, Jamie."

"'Kay, but I'll see you later."

**Prompt 98: Pain – Taking a Break**

"I know you said that you'd have breakfast here, but it's time for lun-" As James got closer to the desk, the clearer he could see the sharp traces of pain in Draco's face. "What the hell? What in bleeding hell is happening?"

Draco breathed deeply through his nose. The pain in his arm had gotten steadily worse as he worked with the book. "It belongs to the Dark Lord. I mean Voldemort. The mark reacts to it. It's been… challenging to concentrate, but I must read through it, see how he created the curse, before I can come up with a counter-course. He wasn't kind enough to provide one."

"You've been working with this for hours. In pain. What-" James went around the desk and put an arm around Draco. "We're going to lunch and you're taking a break from the pain. Getting my magic back can wait a day or two if it prolonged contact makes the pain worse. Besides you can't concentrate like this."

"Lunch, but then I'm coming back. I want to be done with this, with him. I can't have his diary around." It was alluring and interesting and it would be too easy to go down the rabbit hole.

"And I'll come back with you, because I'm not letting you do this alone."

**Prompt 64: Fall – The Daily Prophet**

"And another one falls. Or is it two?" Lucius said when Draco and James entered the family dining room.

The tension was thick in the room for reasons that Draco didn't know or understand. He should have stayed in his study, he thought, but instead he put a polite smile on his face. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Father."

Lucius summoned the Daily Prophet and tossed it in the middle of the table. "Seems that Potter stopped another two Dark wizards. He credits you, among others in helping with their arrest. Apparently it was a very secret assignment, confined to a few Aurors and you."

Draco sat down. "If you were hoping for someone to lead the purebloods to glory, then they were the wrong wizards. I'm not even sure they are Dark wizards. More like two half-bloods who were reading the wrong book and attempting things well beyond their abilities. They had the knowledge, but hardly the skills. They were easily stopped and it was just three of us."

"What book?" Narcissa asked.

"One that Draco shouldn't be near," James put with a fake smile. "It's one of Voldemort's books. He's been in pain all morning."

Lucius' head snapped in James' direction, then looked at Draco. "Is it true?"

"Yes, Father, and it's going to be hidden again when I'm done." He and Potter hadn't discussed it, but a book like that was too dangerous to be left in the open. 

"We should destroy it," James said.

"No, knowledge is not dangerous. It needs to be kept away from the wrong hands," Draco said.

"You sound like Aunt Hermione, and you're both wrong. Sure, it's right in theory, but it only needs one bad person to get his hands on the book and shit happens. Besides, who's going to decide who qualifies as the wrong hands? You? Dad? What happens after you die? Who's going to remember the damage that book caused in a hundred years from now? Who's going to determine who's worthy to have it and who's not." James sighed. "Draco, you need to destroy it."

"I think he's right," Scorpius said. "You never know, Dad. Do we even want something like that in our home? Something that physically hurts you? What if my son finds it by mistake?"

"I wouldn't leave it laying around. Besides, this is a moot point. It's not your decision. I'll speak with Potter and we'll see," Draco said, but the glint in his father's eyes made him question his own decision. 

"That's right. We should stop discussing the Dark Lord, his book and anything connected to it." Narcissa put a hand on Lucius' arm. "Draco has done what was right for this family and that's all that's important."

"He could do so much more," Lucius answered.

"I'm not taking over the wizarding world, Father. I can barely keep up with the people in this house. I have no interest in ruling over people I don't even know or care about. And now, if you don't mind, I'd like to eat before returning to my research."

**Prompt 32: Sunset – Motherly Advice**

Narcissa stepped out into the balcony when she saw Draco standing there. The sun was low in the horizon and there was a chill December wind breezing from the East. She cast a warming spell around them and hooked their arms together. "No luck?"

"Not yet. It's difficult to find the right counter-curse when I want to rip my arm out," he said with a sigh.

"Keep that book away from your father." Her tone was firm, but it was softened by the smile in her face.

"I have no intention of sharing it with him. He's-"

"He's a proud man who's lost everything and had to rely on his son and his connections to survive," she said. "Your father will do everything to survive, but he doesn't like the consequences."

"It wasn't my first choice either. I didn't want to rely on Potter, but there was no other way."

"I know. I agreed with you then and I still agree with you." She smiled. "I don't even mind young Potter as a partner, at least not anymore. I admit that I was rather sceptical when you started seeing him, but he makes you happy. It's also very strategic. You've linked this family with the Potters."

"That's not why I'm with him," he answered, calmly. 

"Your reasons don't negate that it's strategically sound. Potter named you in the newspaper as one to help save our world. You know that won't go unnoticed."

"Father noticed. He was rather moodier than usual. What was his problem?" Draco asked.

"Jealousy, my darling. You haven't just saved us, but you've brought a respect to the Malfoy name that he was never able to do, not just with the old pureblood families, but with our world at large." She patted his arm. "Don't let him get to you."

"I'll never be good enough for him, will I?"

Narcissa laughed. "Darling, the problem is that you are better than he and he knows it. Your father loves you and is proud of you, but he doesn't do humble well. He'll be back to normal once the Prophet stops printing stories about the new heroic gestures that stopped these new Dark wizards. Now, come inside. It's cold here."

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Medals  
** 12 December, 2025  
Prompt 44: Circle 

"Hey, Dad." As soon as James looked at his father, he saw the little wince and the aborted gesture to reach for the scar. "And that's why he hasn't found a cure. Can you tell him to stop working for a while? He looks awful."

Draco looked up from the book. It was slow going and he kept going back to it every time he tried a new counter-curse. "I'm sitting right here and I look perfect. Malfoys always do."

Harry stopped where he was, maintaining as much of a distance as the room would allow. "You look as bad as you did in sixth year. Take a break, Malfoy. We can't have you looking like this at the Ministry party."

"Excuse me?" Draco asked with a frown.

"Didn't you read the letter Hermione sent you?" Harry asked.

Draco smirked. "Should I pretend and say certainly? I have no idea what you're talking about. I've been with this book since we found it. I've spoken to Granger twice when she came over to discuss the horcruxes and the potion to destroy them. I don't recall any message from her."

"You put the letter in your second drawer on the right side of the desk. That's the one you got when you threatened to hex the owl for interrupting while you were creating one of the counter-curses," James supplied.

"I suppose I did. What does it have to do with how I look?"

"You're being given the Order of Merlin for your contribution through the years in fighting the Dark Arts, culminating with the latest arrest."

"You memorised that, didn't you?" Draco asked.

Harry laughed. "I had to say it at the press conference. There's a ceremony and a ball. All very fancy."

"Why is Granger doing this? She doesn't like medals, she doesn't like balls and she doesn't particularly like me," Draco pointed out.

"Because it's shiny and her advisors told her that it's the perfect way to distract people. Me, you, free food. Who's going to care about Dark wizards when they can gawk at us?" 

"This really _is_ like school again. When is this party again?"

"The third of January. She's being kind and giving us a few days to deal with the New Year's Eve hangover," he joked.

"That's because you don't think like a wizard. There are potions to deal with that," Draco teased. "So why are you here?"

"Because Hermione send me. When you didn't answer her, she sent me. I'm her owl, so to speak. I also wanted to see how it's going."

"Slowly and painfully, but I'll get there. There is one thing, while you're here. Christmas. I know usually you lot are at your mother-in-law's, but it's so-" He made a face. "Anyway, we were talking and you could all come here. Blaise and Daphne will join us. I told Lucy that Audrey's parents and Molly's in-laws are welcome. Aunt Andromeda has an outstanding invitation. Any other in-laws are happy to join us. It would solve the problem for a great many people who'd have to go from home to home to please everyone."

"And we can stay indoors with couches," James put it. "No tents, no cleaning the garden."

Harry looked at his son in shock. "How about Quidditch?"

"Can't exactly fly at the moment, Dad, and you can use the garden out here. It's bigger than the field at the Burrow."

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll talk to Ginny, see what she says." He looked at Draco. "Are you sure that you're all right with so many people here?"

Draco shrugged. "It's not like _we_ cook and the house elves are very capable."

James chuckled. "Don't tell Aunt Hermione, though."

"Okay, I'll let you know. In the meantime, take a break, eat something. You really do look awful."

"Thank you, Potter. Always a pleasure talking to you."

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: A New Dawn  
** 19 December, 2025  
Prompt 72: Fixed – The Cure 

"Sorry I'm late," Draco said as he stepped into the dining room for lunch, "but-"

"You're never here anymore," Narcissa said.

"Mother, we eat together three meals a day. Being late a few times in the past few weeks doesn't qualify as never," he said, patiently.

"You're not here on Sundays." Lucius smiled at his wife as he said it.

"Yes, and on a few occasions I go out in the evening. That still doesn't qualify as never. Do you know that most people move out of their parents' house and do not have meals with their parents for their entire lives?" 

"Does that mean Lucy and I don't have to eat meals with you and can move out?" Scorpius asked with a smile.

"Of course not. I said most people. We're Malfoys, not most people. On occasion, though, there might be a reason to skip a meal or two."

James had stayed silent, letting them argue. It had taken time to understand that the Malfoys were very different than the Weasleys. When the Weasleys argued, there were hurt feelings and major problems. When the Malfoys argued, it was more an intellectual exercise to keep their minds sharp. In short, they did it for the fun of it.

"Draco," he finally said, looking at his lover, "is there a reason why you're late?"

"Indeed there is, and thank you for asking," he said with a smirk. "I found the counter-curse."

James stood up. "You did? You did! And you're standing there arguing about meals, what's wrong with you?"

"I know how to make an announcement," he teased.

"I hate you. So what is it?" James asked.

" _Magia Reparo_ is the incantation. It needs to be cast moving your wand-"

James cut him off. "That's it? _Magia Reparo_ and I have magic again?"

" _Avada Kedavra_ and you're dead," Lucius said, pleasantly.

"Point!" James took a deep breath. "All right. Do it. I don't need a lecture on the how and why. Just do it."

Draco took his wand out and cast the spell. A stream of silver light started from the wand and wrapped around James before tightening like a knot and disappearing. He stared at James and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have my wand," James said, patting his jeans.

"You're an Auror. You know how to cast wandless spells. You can also do a summoning spell without a wand while half asleep," Draco said, not hiding the amusement. "I think you can manage to try it out without a wand."

"Right, I can totally do that. _Accio_ napkin." James' voice wavered, his insecurity obvious to anyone paying attention, but as the napkin flew to the air, a big smile appearing on James' face. "I can do magic," he said breathless. "I can do magic." He hugged Draco tight, hiding his face against Draco's neck. "You did it. Thank you. I don't know how to thank you."

Draco chuckled. "I'd give you a few ideas, but there are too many people around."

James stepped back, grinning. "That can wait; I have to tell my parents, and… everyone else. It'll take a whole day. Maybe we should go flying, definitely flying. I've missed it."

"How about you go see your mother? Have lunch with her?" Draco suggested. "You tell her and she'll tell everyone else, sparing you hours of conversations with all of your relatives. When you come back, we can go flying."

"That's brilliant. You're brilliant. I still can't believe you found a cure. It's-"

"Brilliant?" Narcissa suggested, earning a snort from Lucius.

"Totally brilliant. I'll go-" He gave the rest of the Malfoys a wave of his hand. "See you later."

Scorpius shook his head as James left the room. "You're keeping him around, aren't you?"

Draco took a deep breath and then nodded. "I think so. If he wants to be around."

Scorpius laughed. "He's a Weasley. Once he attaches to someone, he's not going anywhere."

"Hey!" Lucy said.

Scorpius leaned and kissed her. "I never said it was a bad thing." 

**Prompt 36: Smell – Around the Kitchen Table**

"Mum?" James called out as he stepped out of the Floo.

"In the kitchen."

"What smells so good?" He stopped short when he saw his grandmother sitting around their kitchen table. "Hey, Grandma, I came to have lunch with Mum."

"I made pies for tonight, but you can bring one to the Malfoys," Ginny said.

Molly made a face. "They're not fancy enough for them. No strange French name, just pie."

James kissed her cheek. "But I like pie and Draco deserves a reward. Mum's pies areamazing enough to be the perfect gift, even without the French name, although I could always say that it's _tarte aux pêches_."

"You let him stay there and this what happens," Molly told Ginny.

James laughed. "I learned that from Aunt Fleur. In case you didn't know, she's actually French. The Malfoys came from France back in the 11th century."

"And how would you know that?" Molly asked.

"Portrait of Armand Malfoy in the dress corridor. They have an entire corridor with clothes of different eras. It's actually pretty cool." 

Ginny put a sandwich in front of James and sat down as well. "Why are you really here?"

"You forgot a glass." He smiled as he said, " _Accio_ glass."

"Jamie!" She started the laugh. "He did it. Draco really did it."

"Told you he deserved your pie." James found himself being squeezed into a hug by his grandmother. "I got my magic back. I was hoping that you could let everyone know."

"I will," Molly said with pride. "I might even consider Christmas at their house like your father has been suggesting."

"What's there to considered?" James asked with a frown. "There's so much space there and we don't need tents. We also don't have to do anything. The House Elves will think of everything."

"You're supposed to-"

"What? Get tired?" Ginny asked her mother. "You're seventy-seven, Mum, and there's forty-seven of us, that's without the children's in-laws. You can't keep doing this. You're always exhausted by the end of the night and barely enjoy the party."

"Besides, Scorpius and Sophie are not going to leave their families," James said. "With all the in-laws, I think we're close to eighty this year. Narcissa is planning on using the great hall, have multiple tables." He squeezed his grandmother's hand. "It's the only way to do it."

"What is wrong with you boys? First Albus, now you? You're mighty close to the Malfoys. Your grandfather-"

James hated to see the glassy look that appeared in her eyes whenever their grandfather was mentioned. "Grandma, I know things were different back then, but it's been almost thirty years. We weren't even born, and it's not like I'm Lucius Malfoy's best friend, but I won't speak ill of them when they haven't done anything to me. People do change and Draco has done more to keep our world safe than plenty of other wizards, and now he's given me my magic back. I am grateful and I'm not going to hide it."

She hugged him again. "I'm grateful for that too. I still don't like that family."

James smiled. "There will be eighty people. You can avoid the three of them easily."

"Fine, we can go there. Now eat. You're looking entirely too skinny. They must not feed you properly at that house."

James chuckled. His grandmother wouldn't be happy unless he was an overweight man with a round belly, something he most definitely didn't want to be.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Christmas Day  
** 25 December, 2025  
Prompt 61: Winter - Flying 

Traditions were something sacred at Malfoy Manor. Christmas had certain rules that everyone knew and understood. That was until a herd of Weasleys and in-laws descended upon the manor like drunken hippogriffs.

Carefully placed decorations were ignored, fine food was ingested like it was liver pie and champagne was passed up in favour of pumpkin juice, all in the name of-

"Quidditch. Let's play Quidditch!"

The air was cold and the wind was biting, but no one seemed to care. Teams were made with too many of the league's finest players getting ready to battle with the rest of their family. Chairs were brought out for the supporters. Draco smartly decided that he'd leave the game to the youngsters, but he was surprised when Harry did the same.

"I thought you played at these games," Draco asked, when the man approached him.

"I did. I do, but I couldn't possibly play when my rival is sitting down here sipping champagne," Harry said with a grin.

"Is that what we are? Because we haven't played Quidditch against each other in decades," Draco said, putting down the flute. It seemed that he might have to be sober after all.

"Well, they are doing pretty well without us."

Draco snorted. "You have two of the league's best, your daughter is getting ready to join. Hugo seems to be only a year behind her. Jamie could have joined easily if he wanted to and so could have a few of the others. I'd say that they are pretty good."

"And she's not dating Nikolai Krum," Harry said, shaking his head. "She thinks I don't keep track of them. Always have."

"James did make it difficult, being at the manor all the time, long before there was anything," Draco pointed out.

"That's why I thought you two were together to be honest, but then there were the random boyfriends. I could never figure it out," he admitted.

"You know that it's creepy, right? You could have spoken to them. I know it's a strange concept, and you always liked your secrecy, even more than me, but talking works miracles." Draco looked not too far away where Sophie and Lucy were seated, looking at the players. "It's amazing what you learn.

"It's not that I don't trust them, but I don't trust the rest of our world with them. Besides, when you talk to them, you learn very scary things. I did talk to Al, you know? After you said not to. Al explained why he wants to live here after I promised not to tell his mother. I should have listened to you."

Draco grinned. "Could you repeat that? I don't want to forget this moment."

"Don't get too used to it." Harry looked at the sky and sighed. "They go too slow."

"They do have more strategy than we used to have," Draco answered.

"True, but it's boring. Remember what it was like to fly so fast that the world disappeared? Me, you, the snitch and flying. It was pure and simple." Harry looked at Draco and nodded toward where the family was playing. "Care to show them how one truly flies."

"Are we picking teams?" Draco asked.

"Nah, me and you and the snitch."

Draco laughed. "They will hate us for ruining their game."

"Hey, I don't care about what they say, but if you're too afraid of my son's wrath."

"Screw you, Potter." Draco called the house elf and asked for his broom. "I guess we're playing."

**Prompt 67: Snow - Falling**

They weren't playing, not really. They were flying, as fast as they could, passing each other, turning and twisting, using the trees as their own obstacles in a pitch that only existed in their heads. Always racing side by side, passing and catching up, fast, faster than the occasion called for and then they saw it. 

The Snitch!

They accelerated, one hand on the broom and the other extended to reach that golden ball. Harry stopped abruptly, doing an about-face. They closed their fingers around the snitch, but their speed and centrifugal force pulled them in different direction.

"Let go, Potter!"

"You let go."

Neither let the snitch out of their grasp and their broom continued to spin out of control. The rest of the family looked on. Voices grew louder as both seekers lost their brooms, freefalling and gaining speed as the ground grew closer. Wands came out faster than the blink of an eye and the two men slowly floated down, landing on the soft white snow, still holding hands around the snitch.

James was the first to get there. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," both answered, even though James was staring at Draco

"Are you out of your bloody mind?"

"Are we?" Draco asked Harry.

Harry laughed. "Pretty sure we are, but not for playing Quidditch."

"Idiots," James murmured.

Harry turned his focus on his son. "I suggest you watch your mouth when speaking to me."

"You-"

"Do not finish that sentence," Harry warned. "This- what you have with Mafoy doesn't change the fact that I'm your father and you will show me the proper respect both at home and at work. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir" James mumbled. "Could you two sit up?"

"Not until Malfoy admits that I caught the snitch first," Harry said, relaxing again.

"In your dreams, Potter."

"Aunt Hermione!" James used a _Sonorus_ spell to make himself heard. Hermione and Percy landed there. "Please, tell them who won so they can get up and don't freeze to death."

"Obviously it's a tie," she said, "since they both are still holding it."

"Hermione, I have to listen to you at work," Harry said with a grin, "but you're rubbish at Quidditch. There are no ties for catching the snitch."

Percy rolled his eyes. "I'm the referee, and as such I say that it's a bloody tie between you two, since the rules never applied to either one, and you can give me the snitch so we can finish this game properly."

Harry looked at Draco, who shrugged in response to the unspoken question. "I guess a tie it is." They both released the snitch and Percy mounted his broom before indicating that the game was resuming. Harry and Draco stood up, casting spells to dry their clothes.

"You sure you're all right? It's just- You could have gotten hurt. At your age-"

Draco's eyes drilled into James. "You might not want to finish that sentence either."

"Would you two stop it? This weird thing that you have going when you're around each other? You act like your fifteen again, but you're not. Do you know what it's like to watch while the person you love could be dying?" 

Draco's back stiffened. "Do I? Let me see? Potter, do you think that walking into a bathroom and finding someone barely breathing and with his wrists slit qualifies?" He glared at James. "You do not get to say anything of the sort. Just because I haven't mentioned it, it doesn't mean that I've forgotten what it's like to think you're dead."

"I'm sorry… I just… I got scared. You feel and you could have die-"

"No, I couldn't have." Draco just stared at James and then he was flying without a broom, before landing back. "Like it? Nifty little spell that Severus invented. Voldemort used it too. Your father and I also know plenty of spells to slow down our descent. I can't speak for him, but I'm assuming that we both felt the spells being casting and figured that casting more would backfire. So no, we couldn't have died. At worst, we might have broken a bone or two, which only need Skele-gro."

"Unless you have Quirrell around," Harry murmured.

Draco rolled his eyes at Harry, and then returned his attention to James. "On the other hand, what you did would have killed you if I hadn't arrived at that very moment. Now, I'm going to take my old self inside and you can finish your game." Out of spite, Draco silently cast the spell that allowed him to fly through the air to reach the manor.

"I fucked up," James said with a sigh.

"Yep, you seem to be doing a lot of that with him," Harry said. "He really must love you, because the Malfoy I know would have hexed anyone pulling the crap you do. So what are you going to do?"

"Finish the game?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Jamie, it's Christmas and your boyfriend is pissed off because of something you said. That means that you forget about the game and you grovel. That's what you do. And when you're done, you might want to try that with your mother as well. She was there as well."

"So were you," James said. "It's just… I don't know what to say. I did it, I'm sorry, let's move on. What else can I say?"

"Picture what you felt when you saw us fall and then think how much worse you would have felt if we had landed without any cushioning spells, think how you'd feel if you thought we were dead. Maybe that will give you an idea of what we felt." 

Before Harry could say more, James hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt any of you. I thought you'd be better off without me, and I know it was stupid, but-"

Harry cupped his cheeks as he pulled back. "I know, Jamie, but it's only been two months; we need time to process it. Now, go talk to Malfoy."

**Prompt 99: Writer's Choice - Surprises**

Apologising seemed like an easy enough tasl, but instead Draco made sure never to be alone with James. Dinner was awkward and lonely. James was seated between Draco and Albus, but Draco was ignoring and Albus… well Albus always ignored him, unless there were insults being traded.

James simply couldn't spend the entire Christmas day like this. If a private apology wasn't possible, then he'd have to go for something a little more public. He was a Gryffindor after all.

He thought about standing up on top of the table and make some big declaration, but the Malfoys might hex him for staining their tablecloth. It also seemed meaningless when so many people already knew. He wasn't one for understated, but this seemed the best way to go. He put a hand on Draco's thigh, to get his attention. "I'm sorry," he said softly, before leaning over and kissing him, and maybe his father was right, because Draco immediately put an arm around him and relaxed.

"This isn't over," Draco said when they broke apart.

"We'll talk later, but for now, can we not fight? I hate fighting with you." He rested his head on Draco's shoulder, eyes closed. Understated wasn't that bad, at least until he heard the strangled sound from a few chairs down. His eyes flew in that direction and noticed his grandmother. "So, me and Draco-"

Molly looked at Ginny and Harry. "You knew! You knew and didn't tell me."

"It's not their fault, Grandma. I asked them not to tell anyone, not until I was ready- Fuck," he murmured as she got up and walked out. "Seems I'm spending the day running after people."

"You do make people want to run away," Albus added with a pleasant smile.

"Screw you, Al." James ran after his grandmother. "Grandma, please wait." He grabbed her arm. "Look, I'm sorry, but I wanted to tell you. I really did, but every time I tried, you talked about wives and children and I was afraid. I've already disappointed so many people lately."

"Is that what you think?" Molly said. "You think I'm upset because you won't have a wife. The children maybe, but I'm upset because you lied to me. How many times have I mentioned a girlfriend or marriage? How hard would have been to say that you wouldn't have a girlfriend because you had a boyfriend, huh? And of all people a Malfoy? Really, Jamie, couldn't you find a better man? Because anyone would have been better."

"Really? Because I've had other boyfriends and no one was anywhere near as good as Draco. He cares about me, not about my last name. He cares about what I feel. He supports me even when he disagrees with me. He always backs me up, even with Mum and Dad or his parents. He worked day and night to find a cure. He made sure that I felt valued and not alone and that I wouldn't try killing myself again. He's half the reason why I'm still alive and the reason why I feel like me again. I don't think I could have been happy without magic and he gave me that." James ran his fingers through his hair. "So he's a Malfoy, but you didn't complain about Lucy and Scorpius, did you?"

"That's different," Molly said.

"Why? Because of something that happened when _he_ was a child? He was sixteen, seventeen, Grandma. We all did stupid things back then. Hell, I still do. I don't know the boy Uncle Ron likes to talk about, but I know the man he is today and he's a good, loving man, even Mum and Dad can see it-."

"This is why it was so important that we came here for Christmas, wasn't it?" Molly asked. "Still, you should have told me. I know I yell and I send howlers, but I've always wanted you happy, all of you, but you- I love all of my children, but Ginny was my baby, the only girl, and she's always been a little special, just like you've always been a little special in her heart, and I wanted her to get what I got from my children. See you grew up, fall in love, have a family, and now-"

"But she's seeing that, Grandma. I am in love," he said, smiling. "He's amazing and wonderful and maybe we can't be a family in the traditional sense, but Mum is seeing what we have. I think they are becoming friends in their own crazy way."

Someone cleared his throat made him look up and saw Draco coming closer. "Sorry to interrupt." Draco put an arm around James, but spoke to Molly. "Apparently, there seems to be a minor argument about different types of desserts being served and Ginny felt that you could best resolve it."

"Nonsense. She's just trying to get me back to the dinner table," Molly said, waving a hand.

"Very possibly," Draco answered with a smirk. "However, no one else was ready with a more convincing lie, although I suggested the truth. It is Christmas and your family loves you very much, even when they act without thinking."

James grinned. "Hey, where do you think we got it from? She's a Gryffindor too."

Molly shook her head. "You're not off the hook, Mister. You're coming over the Burrow and we'll talk. Now, let's see what lies your mother will come up with."

"Fine, but- Do you think I can have a moment with Draco first?" The hug wasn't unexpected after all. They yelled, they fought and they hugged. It was the Weasley way. The fact that she was leaving him alone this quickly was.

"Sooner or later people will forget about the attack and you almost dying and won't be so understanding," Draco said.

"I know, but in the meantime, I'm going to milk it." James turned and put his arms around Draco. "So how much did you hear?"

"Almost everything. I wouldn't let you do this alone, but you were doing so well, explaining how wonderful I am without using the word 'brilliant' once. That in itself is a huge accomplishment for you."

James snorted. "I'm glad you approve of my vocabulary."

"I do, especially when used to laud my laurels."

"Oh wow, you really must be pleased. You're using the fancy words now," James said, laughing.

"You're a brat," Draco answered.

"But you love me anyway." James kissed him gently. "I meant every word. I'm sorry for before."

"Being around your family- around your father does make me act a little… immature."

"My, my, is that an apology?" James asked.

"But it's not a bad thing. Once in a while, it's just… fun," Draco said.

"I know, and you should have more fun. I want you to do things not because they are right or rational, but because they make you feel good, and it's very hypocritical of me to be upset if there's some danger, considering that I love danger." He shrugged. "I've never loved someone like I love you. I'm getting used to not want to lock you in a room so you're safe."

"Jamie, I've faced real danger. I'm not interested in that; I promise you that."

"Okay, but- I'll probably do it again at some point. You'll have to remind me," Jamie said with a sigh.

"All right." Draco put an arm around him and led him back to the great hall. "Let's see if your family left any dessert for us."

* * *

**Chapter Thirty: New Choices  
** 1 January, 2026  
Prompt 95: New Year 

New Year's Eve had been a quiet one. While Scorpius, Lucy, Sophie and Al had decided to go out, Draco and James had gone to George's family party after Draco had pointed out that they couldn't be seen together in public. James had spent the night in a mood, making Draco wonder why he tried to be the voice of reason.

Today, it'd been more of the same, with the four too hang-over for most of the morning and James getting moodier as they shared details about their night out. By the end of the day, Draco was ready to hex someone.

"I'm going to bed," James told everyone and no one as he got up from the couch.

Draco waited only a few minutes and got up as well. "I'll retire too. Good night everyone."

"Someone is getting lucky," Albus said over a chorus of good night. He recoiled when he saw the expression on Draco's face. "Or maybe not," he murmured.

Draco wasted no time with an answer and went to his bedroom. It was already dark, with only the fireplace lighting the room. "You're not asleep and we need to talk."

James groaned. "Can you not say that? Those words are never a good sign."

Draco got undressed and got into bed. He sat, leaning against the headboard, while he ran his fingers over James' arm. "Those words wouldn't have to be said if you didn't revert to your teenage years on occasion. You don't get to be annoyed at me, because people don't know about us."

"I'm not annoyed."

Draco snorted.

"All right, I'm not annoyed at you. Better? Now can we get some sleep?"

"No, because we have another party in two days and it will be much of the same," Draco answered. "However, I can keep this discussion short. Now that your family knows about us, give me one reason why we can't come out?"

James frowned and then sat up abruptly. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Draco shrugged. "Seems to me that your biggest objection was that your family didn't know about your sexual orientation. They know now. I've been out for years. You hate keeping secrets. I'm seeing all the downsides of keeping our relationship secret, but none of the ones for coming out, so give me a reason."

"For starters, the press will never leave us alone," James said.

"As opposed to now?" Draco asked. "If anything, once people know, any picture they get will be worth less and we hardly are social butterflies. However, should we go to a party and wish to dance together, there would be no gossip to share with the reporters because we've already told them."

James shook his head. "It's not that simple and you know it. There might not be a downside for me, but you know that they will crucify you. Harry Potter's son. You know what they'll say."

"So let them," Draco answered. "I've faced much worse headlines and those happened to be true. I was ashamed during the trials, but I kept my head high. This time I'm not ashamed and I won't let them ruin what we have. We can give a statement-"

"No, if we do it, we don't give a statement at the start. We come out, let them print something and then make a statement about how disappointed we are that they have chosen to misrepresent a long lasting relationship. That will put the different papers on the defensive and they'll have to be more careful in the future." He bit his lip thinking. "I bet we can get Aunt Hermione and Dad to say a few things as well. Aunt Hermione won't even need convincing. They start about gay relationship and she'll go off on them about equality and discrimination."

"Does that mean that you want to come out or are we talking about possibilities in the future?" Draco asked.

James smiled. "You're an arse, you know that, right? Because you know that there's no way that now that we have a strategy that I'll keep it secret."

"I don't want you to do it for me," Draco said, "but if you decide that we keep it secret, you can't get all moody when we can't do normal things."

"I know, and I'm doing it for myself. Sooner or later, someone will notice and you were right all those years ago. I'd rather come out on my terms and not have the Daily Prophet tell everyone regardless of what I want." James nodded. "Yes, we're telling the world. At the ball."

"Because once you decide, waiting isn't in your vocabulary," Draco said, chuckling.

"Nah, it's because I don't want to be miserable at that party," James answered with a grin. "Now, can we get some sleep? My head still hurts from Uncle George's cocktails."

"You should know better than to drink what he makes." Draco kissed him softly. "Night."

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One: The Ball  
** 3 January, 2026  
Prompt 25: Strangers 

Draco knew that despite the many changes in his life, he loved the attention, especially when it was the result of a medal being given to him. The Order of Merlin had been presented at a public ceremony right before the ball and he'd smiled, taken pictures and chatted with the reporters.

The attention had followed him to the ball. Not surprising with all of the reporters present. They all seemed very aware the moment he got near Harry. "Have you seen Jamie?"

"He's with Ginny," Harry answered. "She forced him to dance."

Draco laughed. "Is she avoiding you? I wouldn't blame her. Her feet are much safer this way."

"You're laughing. In public. With reporters around. They'll think that I've cast a tickling jinx," Harry teased. "I'm happy to see that a medal put you in such a good mood."

"It's not the medal, although that doesn't hurt. I suppose I'll be nice and let you in on the surprise. Jamie has decided that he's ready to let people know. He wants to act like it's normal that we're together and then act annoyed at the inevitably scandalous headlines."

"Tonight? Shouldn't you enjoy your medal?" Harry asked with a frown.

"It doesn't matter, does it? I am who I am and people will have to accept it. Or not. I'm not too fussed about what people think of me, at least not when it comes to the person I'm with. They can criticise me for what I did during the war, but their opinion is irrelevant when it comes to my personal life. Besides, I want to see anyone say that a Potter is not a good choice."

Harry chuckled. "I will personally vouch for you if they start claiming that you hexed Jamie. How's that?"

"Wouldn't be the first time you vouch for me," Draco answered. His smile softened when he saw James and Ginny approach them. "Good evening. You look very beautiful."

"Thank you. Oh wait, you were talking to Mum," James said with a grin.

Ginny smacked his arm. "Thank you, Draco. Please excuse my son."

"I think I know him well enough," Draco answered.

James put an arm around him and kissed him. "Yes, you do."

Ginny gasped, but Harry took her hand and squeezed it gently. "He hasn't lost his mind. They've decided to come out and one of them figured out that we should know. It wasn't our son."

"Heavens no. We wouldn't want our son to think ahead and warn his parents. That's too much foresight," Ginny teased. "So… this is it? You two are letting the world know. We'll have a few interesting weeks ahead of us."

"We know," James said, "but that would happen no matter when we came out."

"Of course you decided to come out on the day he gets the Order of Merlin," Harry pointed out.

James stared at his father, trying to decide what he meant. "I- We decided together. Draco actually mentioned it. I- Did you want to come out on another night?"

Draco smiled and shook his head. "You're much more important than a medal and I can't watch you being miserable. It would ruin the celebration more than any article they can publish in the morning. Now, if your parents would excuse us, we should dance and really give them something to talk about."

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Spreading The News  
** 10 January, 2026  
Prompt 73: Light – Shading Some Light 

"Everyone who's not a Malfoy, get out," Draco said as he stepped into the drawing room where the rest of his family was assembled.

"Do I get to stay?" Lucy said with a grin.

"Not for this one," Draco answered.

"Dad!" 

"Out, all of you," Draco repeated.

"He wouldn't say that if Jamie were here," Albus murmured as he got up. "We'll just have to go and entertain ourselves while Scorpius suffers through whatever it is."

Draco's expression didn't change, even if he found Albus' antics amusing. He made sure that they left the room and closed the door. "I need to talk to the three of you."

"Are you here to apologise for all these articles about you and that boy?" Lucius asked. "I can't believe you were so careless."

"Father, for the millionth time, we weren't careless. We wanted people to know," Draco said patiently, while taking a seat next to his son. 

"Potter's statement was very …supportive," Narcissa interjected. "The Minister spoke up too. It's not as bad as you think Lucius."

"Nonsense. She's a Mudblood and he's Potter. They would say those things for anyone. Bleeding hearts, the two of them," Lucius answered.

Draco smirked. "Still, it's rather satisfying to see Potter speak up on my behalf."

"He doesn't hate you, Dad," Scorpius said. "I don't understand what you get so gleeful when he takes your side."

"Because he might not hate me, but the public at large has a collective fainting spell every time he says something nice about this family," Draco explained. "It's not about him personally, but the impact he has on everyone else, and can we stop talking about Potter? This wasn't about him, but Jamie."

"The other Mr. Potter," Narcissa said.

"Not to be confused with Albus," Scorpius added with his own smirk.

Narcissa waved a hand. "He's not Mr. Potter. He's Albus. Now, darling, what is it that you wanted us to know?"

"Well… you see, now that we're out-"

**Prompt 75: Shade –In The Dark**

Scorpius found his lovers in their bedroom. Sophie and Lucy were in bed while Albus was in a chaise lounge. "I see you haven't started entertaining yourselves." He took a seat on the lounge, sitting between Albus' legs.

"We were waiting for you, darling." Sophie kept her eyes on her cousin while brushing Lucy's nipple through her shirt. "We wouldn't punish you for your father's rude behaviour."

Albus ran a hand up Scorpius' thigh, before pressing it against his crotch. "We can punish you for not telling us what's happening, though."

Scorpius turned his head and kissed Albus' jaw. "Sorry, loves, but I can't tell you. You'll just have to do without me this time around."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "That's not fair. We share everything. Lucy, tell him that we don't keep secrets."

Lucy set up and looked at her husband. "We do, but this isn't Scorpius' secret to share, is it? We share our families' secrets when they effect one of us. Does this?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No, not really, and Dad will tell you soon enough, but for now, he doesn't want people to know. I'm sorry, but I won't betray him."

Albus put his arms around Scorpius and squeezed gently. "We're having you on. No need for you to tense up. None of us want to come between you and your dad."

Scorpius closed his eyes and leaned back against Albus. "Sorry, I just- He's my father and I don't want to be in a situation where I have to choose between him and all of you."

"You won't have to," Lucy said. "Now would you gentlemen care to join us or would you like to watch from there?"

Despite Lucy's answer, Albus could feel the tension in Scorpius' body. Whatever Draco told him had unnerved Scorpius despite his reassurances that it wouldn't affect them. Albus kissed his neck, knowing just how sensitive Scorpius was, and then looked up. "Why don't you give us a show while I take care of Scorpius?"

**Prompt 94: Independence – Reclaiming History**

Narcissa and Lucius were talking a walk through their garden. The peacocks were confined through magic in a small area that kept them warm in the cold winter, but they were free to roam about and show off their plumage. Lucius loved to see them and Narcissa had picked that area on purpose.

"You should be happy for him," she said softly. 

"How can I? He's smart, skilful and powerful. Draco could do so much more if only he had a little more ambition," Lucius answered.

"We were ambitious and look where it got us." She held onto his arm as they walked and gently squeezed his arm. "Draco is all of that and he's done what we couldn't. He's made people respect him and the Malfoy name, not because of his lineage, but for what he's accomplished. Some people will always dislike him because he's a Malfoy, but many respect him."

"Despite being a Malfoy," Lucius finished. "Don't you think I know that? I wanted to give him a legacy, but instead-" He shook his head.

"Instead, he has fame, respect, friendship and love. He's happy, and that's what really matters." Narcissa took a deep breath, before carrying on. "He thinks he can never live up to your expectations, that you're not proud of him. That's the only thing that makes him unhappy. You can fix that. You can give him the peace of mind he needs and it's time to stop punishing him for having fared better than you under the Dark Lord."

"Why is he so obsessed with the Potters? We had that boy here, in our home. If Draco had just identified him back then, he'd be dead-"

"And what? What kind of life would we have had under that mad man?" she asked. "Stop pretending that he was the answer to a better society. He only cared about himself and Draco knew it, deep down he understood that Potter was the only choice for true freedom and he did what he had to."

"You can't seriously believe that," Lucius said.

"I am serious. I'm done pretending that he was our Saviour and we lost an opportunity. He wanted to chain us all, and I'm sorry if you think this life is Draco's fault, because I think it's Draco's gift to us. Most of our friends are dead or in Azkaban and we would have been in a much worse situation if the Dark Lord had survived. Instead, we're alive and free. We have a wonderful son and a grandson. Soon we'll witness the birth of our great-grandson. You always said that life is about the family. Well, we have our family while plenty of lines have died out, including my own family. You should be happy for Draco."

"Even with what he's about to do?" Lucius asked.

Narcissa shrugged. "If it makes him happy, then yes."

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Another Birthday  
** 13 January, 2026  
Prompt 47: Heart 

Scorpius was lying in bed with Sophie and Lucy on each side while Albus was lying next to Sophie. For the first time in recent memory, he wished he were alone, at least for an hour or so. He _whined_ when Lucy's fingers trailed down his chest and brushed against his cock. "I need to rest. _Please_."

Albus tried to stop a chuckle. "Sorry, mate, these two won't let you rest."

"What did we say?" Sophie asked. "You get to fuck all three of us and then we all fuck you. And have we done that?"

"Nope, we have not. You only fucked us," Lucy answered with a smile. "You asked for this as a birthday gift, remember? We're just half way and we all get a go at your fine arse now while seeing how many times we can make you come this way."

"Three orgasms in ninety minutes," Scorpius said. It wasn't even the length of time, but the constant touching and teasing, leaving his body always on edge. "How come you're leaving Albus alone?"

"Because he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut," Sophie said, "while you were the one who said that you could keep us with us."

"I didn't know that when the Healer said that the second trimester would see an increase in your libido, he really meant that you two turned into nymphomaniacs. We could cast a spell to give you continuous org-" He moaned when Lucy pressed two fingers inside him. "God, Lucy…."

"What were you saying about continuous orgasms?" she asked sweetly.

"That you still wouldn't be satisf- Oh God, Sophie, stop jerking me off. Albus, do something!"

"I'm not an idiot. I'm not getting between two pregnant women and their pleasure. You'll just have to lie back and think of England," Albus said, laughing. "And possibly learn not to boast like a Gryffindor."

"Hey, watch it, or you're next," Lucy warned.

"I- Sorry, not saying another word, my sweet cousin," he said, grinning.

Scorpius gripped their wrists. "All right, you win. I can't keep up. You can still fuck me, but we're taking a break. Happy?"

Lucy hummed for a moment. "Sophie, darling, what do you say? Should we give him some time?"

"I suppose we can be nice this once."

" _Thank YOU_. You're both evil and I love you," Scorpius said, smiling, before kissing them both.

"We do have a surprise for you," Lucy continued, causing both Scorpius and Albus to groan. 

"Not a surprise that involves pegging, cock rings, or any other sexual toy," Sophie added. "You can both relax."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank Merlin," Albus said as he moved closer to Scorpius when both Sophie and Lucy got up. "Do you have any idea what they are up to?"

Scorpius shook his head. "And I'm too tired to care."

Albus put an arm around Scorpius. "My poor baby, the pregnant women tired you out."

"Don't laugh, I'm sore all over. Even my tongue hurts," he said, not hiding a grin.

"Well, they never said that you wouldn't be asked to service one of us while fucking someone else," Albus said, chuckling.

"I hate you." As soon as he felt the mattress dip, Scorpius rolled toward Albus, hiding his face against the crook of his neck.

"Don't be a big baby," Lucy said. "We get that you've just turned twenty and you can't keep up with us."

Scorpius snorted. "Sophie is the youngest and she's five months younger than me. I don't think that's the problem." He turned again to face the two witches. "All right, what's this surprise?"

"It's not really a surprise as much as a suggestion," Sophie said. "Everyone has been telling us how things will change with two children and I'm sure that they are in part right, but we've all been worried that they might be right so Lucy and I were talking."

"And I started looking for ways to stop that from happening," Lucy continued. "There's a spell, an old one. It was cast to bind wizards and witches to the local lord or king."

"Merlin's balls, they want us to be their sex slaves for life," Albus said.

Scorpius laughed. "Don't think they need a spell for that. We already do what they want."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "My cousin is very right on that point. Besides, that spell only gave us a starting point, but then Lucy created one for us, because she's an amazing Unspeakable and studies weird spells."

"Thank you." Lucy leaned in and kissed Sophie, before continuing. "The spell I created is more like a wedding bonding spell, but instead of working for a couple it works on more people. We wouldn’t be forced to be together and we wouldn't die if we decided to split up. However, the spell causes us to have a certain affinity for the other, to know what we're feeling."

Scorpius sat up, suddenly paying attention. "Would we know what the others know or is this limited to emotions?"

"Just emotions, and it's not like we'd get a message in our head saying Albus is happy, Sophie is sad, Lucy is angry," Lucy said. "It's more like having an extra sense that would make us stop and pay attention to the others, like a nagging feeling that something is wrong. I didn't want to make it too binding."

"Then why do it at all?" Albus asked.

"We wanted this to be symbolic, more than an obligation. Otherwise we could have taken an Unbreakable Oath. We got married in front of all of our families, but can you imagine what they'd say if we were to have a ceremony for four people?" Sophie asked. "This way we're making a commitment, all four of us, and the spell will give us an extra help in dealing with a situation that isn't common and that can put stress on our relationship."

Scorpius took a long look at each one. "I love you all, and I can't imagine what life would be without one of you. If all four of us could have gotten married, I would have done it in a heartbeat. I guess, what I'm saying is that I want to cast this bonding spell."

"Three against one. I can't possibly be the only hold out," Albus joked, before turning serious. "I love you, all of you and yes, we should do it.

"All right, then let's do it." Lucy put her right hand forward. Sophie covered her hand with hers and soon Albus and Scorpius joined as well. Lucy used her left hand to cast the spell, moving her wand to create a red bright heart around their joined hands, tightening until the light tightened around their wrists.

"Show off," Albus said.

"Hey, I am a Gryffindor and that was nicer than a regular stream of light," Lucy answered smiling.

"So… we're like… married?" Sophie said.

Scorpius leaned closer and kissed her. "We already were, but this… it's a wonderful birthday gift."

"Great, so can we have sex now?" Lucy asked. Sophie winked at her, while Scorpius groaned over Albus' laughter.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four: The Proposal  
** 24 January, 2026  
Prompt 48: Diamond 

"I love New York. We should come more often." They had spent the evening in the Big Apple having dinner at a fancy restaurant in Chelsea that specialised in dishes made with rare ingredients. Ashwinder egg frittata was apparently a thing, one that required a lot of skills not to set the restaurant on fire. After that, they headed for a club in a deconsecrated church in the Upper West Side. Muggles had been scared by the many ghosts of the priests buried under the church and MACUSA had taken over, reselling it to a local investor. who had turned it into one of the most exclusive clubs in the city.

"As long as we avoid the hippocamp steak, we can come back as much as you like," Draco said.

"That did sound-" He shivered. "Some of the rarities are a little too rare for me, and I'm not touching anything with dragon meat. Uncle Charlie would kill me if he knew."

"We can try a different restaurant. It's the one good thing about this city. There's plenty to see without ever going to a Muggle place." He respected the divisions that MACUSA had created between the wizarding and the Muggle world. He liked less their regulations about the registration of wands. Draco had no intention of registering anything.

"So where to next? Unless we're going back to the hotel. You know it's getting late and the jetleg. This time, I get you back in my room," he said, grinning.

"We do have one more stop." Draco had waited for the Empire State Building to close to the Muggle public. After hours, there were special wizarding viewings and he'd booked one of those.

They Apparated on 33rd Street, in front of what looked like a service freight. As they moved closer, the dirty metal door changed into glass and brass. The door opened automatically when they were close enough. Inside there was a small crowd already.

"Welcome to the Empire States Building wizarding experience," the doorman said. "Tickets?" Draco reached into his pocket and took out two tickets. "Thanks. Step this way." His wand touched a spot on the wall behind him and an elevator door opened. "Ladies and gentleman. This will take you straight to the top floor, unlike the No-Majes version. Hold on tight."

James stepped in and held to the rail, moving close to Draco as he did so. "It can't be worse than the Floo, and did you hear his accent? Americans have such a strange accent," he whispered.

The elevator sped up. It seemed to last an eternity and Draco was reconsidering this idea, but then there was an abrupt stop and they jumped a little. "This is definitely worse than the Floo, and you're right, not everyone can have Hagrid's diction," he said as everyone filed out of the elevator.

James snorted. "Fine, some people have strange accents at home too."

Draco put an arm around James as they stepped onto the deck. The elevator door closed as the last people stepped out and an automated voice started speaking.

_Welcome to the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building, one of the most famous buildings in the world. Now that we are close to the No-Majes, there is a small door that allows our visitors the fly outside of the building with spells that ensure compliance with the International Statute of Secrecy. Brooms are available for rent. Please follow the directions for rentals._

Draco grinned. "What do you say? Should we fly?"

"Fuck yes." James went to the glass and stared outside. "Look at this. It's brilliant. We should do something like this in London."

Draco went for the brooms instead. The system was pretty simple, put money and a spell released the broom with a warning that failure to return the broom would have severe consequences. "Here, let's get out there."

He didn't have to tell James twice. Soon they were flying all around the building, truly feeling on top of the world. The wind was biting at this altitude and even the warming spells weren't enough to make you forget just how high you were.

"You can't fall from this height and rely on cushioning spells," James said as if guessing what Draco was thinking.

"Since your father isn't here, that won't be an issue," Draco answered.

"Come on, it's getting cold. We should get inside," James said.

Draco flew closer, until he was parallel to James. He cast another warming spell. "In a bit. I have something that I want to ask you first." This had sounded like a wonderful idea in theory, but he realised now that they couldn't touch. He almost reconsidered, but the view was amazing and he couldn't imagine anything more appropriate.

James smiled. "Are you actually going to … ask? Because that requires words."

"If we were different people, I would go down on my knee and bring out a big diamond-"

"Draco, what are you doing?"

Draco ignored him and kept going. "But we are us, and we're flying on top of the world, with a breath-taking view in front of us, and I don't have a diamond, but the words aren't different. Jamie, would you do me the incredible honour of marrying me?"

"I-" He opened his mouth and then closed it again, frowning. "You've done it here so I can't let go of my broom. I… Are you sure? It's one thing to come out, but marriage?"

"Why not, Jamie? We both want this to last and people know. You live with me. More importantly, I want you and the world to know that you are the one I'm choosing, the one I want to get old with, even if I'll get there a little sooner than you."

James cracked a smile. "I don't think it'll make a difference when you're a hundred and forty and I'm a hundred and sixteen, and that's a yes, and as soon as we get inside, I'll hug and kiss you and tell you properly, but this was-"

"Brilliant?" Draco suggested.

"Best proposal ever. We can tell this story for decades. Even my grandmother will melt when I tell her," he said, laughing. "You might have just found the way to get into the Weasleys' good graces with this stunt."

Draco leaned closer and nipped James' lip. "I'm only interested in your good graces."

"Then let's go back to the hotel and you can get in my … good graces."

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five: The Tragedy  
** 12 February, 2026  
Prompt 51: Water – Broken Waters 

Draco joined Scorpius and Sophie as they made their way through St. Mungo's. He truly hated being here and every new visit only strengthened his feelings. The maternity ward was already filled with Potters and Weasleys. 

"What happened?" Scorpius asked Albus.

Albus put his arms around Scorpius, leaning against his side. "Some spell or another that they were testing. It backfired, broke her waters. They won't give us the details, because it's all classified and need to know and usual Unspeakables' secrecy bullshit. The Healers are working to deal with the hex and deliver the baby."

Sophie joined in the hug. "She'll be fine and so will the baby. Come on, let's sit down and away from everyone. How is it that everyone is here already?"

"Happened at the ministry," Albus said. "Everyone here works at the ministry. The rest will arrive shortly."

Scorpius wasn't paying attention to them or the people around her. "I can feel her anguish. We should be in there."

"I know, love, but we can't," Albus said softly. "They are dealing with too much as is. There are Healers and Unspeakables in there. Let's give them the time to do their job. Sophie is right, let's get you to a chair."

**Prompt 55: Spirit – Keeping Your Spirits Up**

Draco found Percy and Audrey first. "How is she?"

Percy shook his head. "We don't know. The Unspeakables won't say what happened, only that she was hit with an experimental spell and it caused her to go into labour. Whatever else might have happened, we'll never know."

Audrey forced herself to smile. "She'll be fine. Lucy is smart and would have taken precautions. Any spell would have a counter-spell, right?"

"If they got that far," Percy answered.

"If they haven't, we'll find it," Draco said. 

"Not if they won't tell us what it is," Audrey pointed out.

Draco squeezed her hand. "I don't work for the Ministry and don't have to follow your rules. I will find out what they did and then I'll find a counter-curse. She will be fine."

Percy nodded. "As long as she's fine, the rest… we can deal with."

Draco understood what he was saying. Even if they lost the baby, they could try again. Right now, Lucy was their first priority, and while he did understand the logic of Percy's reasoning, he knew that logic wouldn't help Scorpius and Lucy, or even Albus and Sophie. "The Healers know how to deal with a premature baby. Both of them we'll be fine."

**Prompt 62: Spring – Hope Springs Eternal**

James approached the bench that Scorpius, Al and Sophie were occupying. He crouched in front of Scorpius. "Hey."

"Not now, Jamie," Albus warned.

James raised his hands in a sign of surrender. "I wanted to see how you're doing, nothing else." He looked at Scorpius again. "Lucy is fierce. She's quiet and thoughtful, but she's strong."

"You don't know how scared she is right now," Scorpius said.

"I didn't say that she isn't, but that doesn't mean she isn't brave or strong. It's not lack of fear that makes someone brave, but facing that fear. Lucy might be scared, but she'll fight for herself and that baby, because she's one of the strongest people I know, much stronger than me," he said.

"Why? Why are you here? Why are you talking to me?" Scorpius said.

"Because we're family in so many ways," James answered. "Malfoys, Potters and Weasleys have pretty much turned into one large family, but if that isn't enough, because you helped me when I needed it."

"And because James simply can't help himself. He needs to play White Knight," Albus said, but he was smiling. "Still, on a few occasions he's right and Lucy is a strong one. She'll kick our arses for not believing in her."

"Al is right," Sophie said. "Instead of sitting here, being afraid, we should think of names, give her a short list so she can pick. She'll be annoyed that she didn't have time to make long lists and study the pros and cons. For a Gryffindor, she's very Ravenclaw-ish when it comes to lists."

James chuckled. "She's Uncle Percy's daughter. There's no way she wouldn't enjoy lists. Maybe you should make a not so short list. She'll appreciate the variety."

Scorpius nodded. "All right. I can think of names."

"I'll leave you to it then." James got up just as Scorpius reached for his arm. "What is it?"

"We are family. Thank you."

James leaned down and kissed Scorpius' head, before doing the same with Al and after hesitating, he kissed Sophie's cheek, who sighed dramatically. "How am I supposed to lust after you if you go and play the step-father?"

James snorted. "You're a horrible person, Sophie Potter. Good thing that I like you. What? Why are you three looking at me like that?"

Albus shrugged. "It's weird to hear you call her 'Potter'. Half the time it's like you forget that we're married."

"That's because half the time she's hitting on me and the other half, you four- It's a little strange for me, that's all, but I love you, Al, and whatever makes you happy, I'll back you up." He looked at her. "Not because I'm playing the step-father, but because I'm playing the big brother. Now start making that list and please, come up with _one_ normal name. One."

Scorpius grinned. "He's a Malfoy. Normal was never going to happen."

**Prompt 46: Star – Meet Pegasus**

Discussions ended when the door opened and a Healer stepped out. "She's doing well. We were able to reverse the spell that started this. The baby weighs three pounds and he's seventeen inches. His major organs have developed, but he'll need help with breathing and eating. He's unable to suck at this point. He'll have to stay here for a few weeks, but we expect him to be fine. Now if you'd like to see him. He's staying with your wife instead of the nursery at this point."

Scorpius stepped forward, and then stopped. He turned with a frown. "What are you two waiting for? We're going to see Lucy."

"Mr. Malfoy," the Healer started.

"They are both coming in with me." 

Teddy got closer to James as the three went to see Lucy. Molly soon joined them and within minutes, all of the cousins and spouses were standing in a cluster. "So what's going on with those three?" Teddy asked. 

"Nothing."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Jamie, you're the crappiest liar. I hope you know that."

"And yet, none of us knew that he's gay," Dom said. "He's somewhat able to lie when he wants to. Just not right now."

"What Jamie is trying not to say is that they are in a polyamorous relationship," Molly said. 

"They are what?" Rose asked. "Really? Do our parents know?"

Molly snorted. "Have you seen their heads implode? Well, with the possible exception of your mother. Aunt Hermione would tell us why there is nothing wrong as long as it's not used to suppress women's freedom."

"I think Dad knows," Jamie said. "He might be doing a pretty good job of pretending that he doesn't know."

"I don't see what's wrong with what they are doing," Molly put in.

"So would you be in one?" Victoire asked.

"Merlin no. I'd kill anyone who got that close to my husband, man or woman," Molly answered. "But it's not my husband, and she is my sister and I'll fight for her right to do whatever she wants."

"How did you find out?" Louis asked.

"She told me. I kept asking about the wedding and why I wasn't the Maid of Honour," Molly said.

"That's easy," James answered. "Because Al didn't want me to have anything to do with the wedding. He says I always steal the spotlight." A chorus of 'No' could be heard. "Hey, I don't do it at weddings."

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Really? What about my wedding? Best man's speech? You spoke for twenty-three minutes, I know because I timed it, about you and Teddy, how great he was, how great your friendship was. You mentioned me twice, at the start and at the end."

James had the good grace of blushing, while Teddy laughed and put an arm around him. James hid his face against Teddy. "Might have a point," he mumbled. "I sort of had a crush on Teddy back then."

"No? Never would have guessed it," Victoire said, chuckling.

"We really should have guessed back that that he's gay," Fred said. "We were just too young to figure it out."

"It was Teddy, Teddy, Teddy," Louis said, laughing.

"Leave the poor boy alone, all right?" Teddy said, grinning. "He simply doesn't know how not to be in the spotlight. Lucy was hexed, just had a baby and in a relationship with three people, but we're here talking about Jamie."

James raised his head and smiled. "See? This is why you're my favourite. You totally get it."

"Draco is looking here and I think he wants to kill Teddy," Molly said.

"Why?" Teddy answered.

"Ask Jamie, since it's always about him," Victoire said.

"I might have told him about my crush, back in the day. I told you that, remember?" James said.

"Oh right." Teddy shrugged. "Not going to stop touching you because he's jealous."

"Yes, because Jamie is totally your favourite too," Victoire said. "Sometimes _I_ am jealous."

"Nonsense, he's my favourite, but I only want to have sex with you," Teddy answered, teasing.

"As long as it's all about my body, it's great," she deadpanned.

"Okay, enough arguing. We can go back to how amazing I am," James said, grinning. 

"Saved by the bell, or in this case the door," Roxanne said, looking as Albus opened the door and Sophie and Scorpius came out with the baby.

"He can't stay out here for long," Scorpius said, "but we wanted the family to meet Pegasus Malfoy."

James groaned. "What did I say about a normal name?"

Albus grinned. "You should have seen the other options. Lupus, Delphinus, Hydrus, all constellations and animals."

"How about Leo? Leo is nice," James insisted.

"He's not a Gryffindor," Sophie said, scrunching her nose. 

"Enough arguing," Draco said, coming closer. He grazed the baby's cheek with the back of his finger. "Pegasus is a wonderful name and he's beautiful." He patted Scorpius' cheek. "Show him to Percy and Audrey and then we can all go. Lucy and Pegasus need rest."

"Dad, I want to take them home as soon as possible," Scorpius said.

"We'll see what we can do, have a healer or two full time at the manor until he's better, but that's something we can decide in a few days." Draco kissed the baby's head and stepped aside to allow Scorpius to bring the child to the other grandparents. Sophie hugged him before he could move too far. "Congratulations to you as well."

"This was scary," Albus admitted.

"Hopefully next one won't be," Sophie said. "I have everything planned and I won't let something as trivial as work interfere with my plans."

"You don't work, darling," Draco point.

"Exactly! I don't let work interfere with my life at all," she said.

"Good thing your father is rich and has no other children," Draco teased. "I should start getting people out of here. Al, make sure she comes home. She needs food and rest."

"I'm not leaving them," Sophie said.

"Yes, you are," Albus said. "I'll split my time between the manor and here, but Draco is right. You're in the last trimester. You can't spend all day here. You need rest."

"Fine, then I'll use one of the empty beds and we can have the house elves bring us food," she said, "but I'm not going anywhere and this way you don't have to leave them either. Uncle Draco, stop worrying. Just make sure that everyone leaves. We'll take care of Lucy and the baby. And Scorpius."

Draco wasn't convinced, but there wasn't much he could. Instead, he told Jamie to get his cousins out of here. He spoke with Harry and asked him to do the same with their generation, and soon they were out of St. Mungo's, leaving Pegasus with his strange new family.

**Prompt 45: Moon – Moonless Night**

Draco was standing by the window of their bedroom, looking out. The gardens were dark under a moonless sky. James moved in behind him, putting his arms around his lover and resting his chin on Draco's shoulder. "Knut for your thoughts."

"I was thinking about Pegasus and how hard the next few months will be. He can't eat, he can't breathe. He'll require constant monitoring and spells." He tilted his head and pressed their cheeks together. "There's nothing worse for a parent than to see your child suffer."

"Are we talking about Scorpius and Pegasus or you and Scorpius?" James asked.

"Both, I suppose. After Astoria died, it was me and Scorpius. When something happened, he would turn to me. I hated leaving him alone at St. Mungo's."

"He wasn't alone. Al and Sophie were there, and Lucy too." James squeezed Draco's hand. "And you could have stayed. No one would have blamed you."

"Percy and Audrey would have stayed too and then your grandmother, my parents. It'd become a circus. Instead, they can have a few visitors at a time. It was the right and logical decision." It didn't make Draco feel better, but it was still the most logical decision.

"So you're just upset that your son is growing up." James chuckled. "You're starting to sound like Dad, losing his sons and all that rot, but you haven't lost Scorpius. He loves and relies on you, but now, he also has a little boy of his own, and he'll be a great father, because he's had a great example."

"I know. Logically I know that it's how life works and he should rely on his wife, and Albus and Sophie, but-"

"You're still jealous," James said. "Just like you were jealous of Teddy this afternoon, even though you know that I love you."

"I've seen you with him, and with your cousins for that matter. You talk and you argue, but then you're as close as siblings, understanding each other's faults and accepting them. I suppose it is jealousy from an only child who never had that kind of relationship," Draco admitted.

"You would have hated sharing the attention with so many people," James said. "Your parents have made you the centre of their world. That's really the thing. You aren't used to sharing. Your parents were always there for you. You were there for your son. There was no one else to interfere, but then both you and Scorpius decided to fall for a Potter. Scorpius even went the step forward to love a Potter and a Weasley. You'll have to learn to live with all of us. Although normally you're pretty good at it."

"Why are you smiling?" Draco asked him.

"Because you and Dad are so bloody alike, it's creepy. He's jealous of you. You're jealous of him and the rest of the family. Maybe, you can both figure out what we already have," James said.

"And what's that?"

"That we're one family. All of us. Malfoys and Potters and Weasleys."

"Would this be the time to tell you that Mother's great aunt married your great-grandfather?" Draco chuckled. "The Blacks, the Malfoys and the Weasleys have intermarried for centuries."

"Yes, but that's history. I don't care about any of that. This isn't about lineage or last names. This is about people who care for each other and will go to bat for each other. You and Dad have been doing it since before Albus and I entered in the picture," he pointed out. "We just gave you a reason to mend the past."

"Aren't you the insightful one tonight!" Draco turned his head and kissed James' jaw. "I had a thought too. We need to find a way for you to have a child. I saw the way you were looking at Pegasus. The way you look at all of the children in your family. You're meant to be a father, Jamie."

"If you start with spells to get me pregnant, you're sleeping on the couch," James warned him.

Draco laughed. "First of all, there are so many bedrooms that I don't see why I'd use a couch. Second, I was thinking about other ways. I mean there is the obvious one. Have sex with a woman."

"Eww, I'm not doing that," James said.

"I suspected as much, but apparently in America, there are ways to do it, something similar to a Muggle solution. They use magic to put your semen and a woman's egg together and then a second woman carries the child. Neither woman would have a claim to the child. It'd be yours and you wouldn't have to get near a woman," Draco reassured him.

"That's-" James was about to say insane, but it wasn't that crazy at all. "That's doable. Although shouldn't we wait until we get married?"

Draco laughed. "Love, it takes nine months to have a baby. Nine long months. You'll go crazy for that long. If we start now, you'll be too busy with work and then the wedding and by the time you start thinking about the baby, she'll be four-five months along, cutting the torture – I mean the waiting time in half."

"Merlin, you know me so well." He bit his lip and then nodded. "We can look into it. It's not a yes, mind you, but we can see if it's doable."

"All right. I'll see what I can find out and then we'll make another trip to New York. Now, we should probably get some sleep. Do you have to go in early tomorrow?"

James nodded. "Shift starts at six tomorrow, making up for the hours I took today. Molly and Teddy will be stuck there, bright and early too. Hell, everyone in my family took time off."

Draco took James' hand and walked toward the bed. "I'm sure your boss will understand, considering that he was at St. Mungo's as well."

"Yes, but Dad will be there at five because he's crazy. I hate getting up."

"I know, Jamie, and that's why I'm saying sleep and not sex." He slid into bed and kept the blankets raised to let Jamie get in as well, before putting his arm around his lover. "We'll have the weekend for us."

"As long as we stop to St. Mungo's at some point. Grandpa Draco needs to see Pegasus," James teased.

"Uncle Jamie is the one who's obsessed with children," Draco answered, "but we'll go. Now, sleep."

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Coming Home**  
6 March, 2026  
**Prompt 37: Sound – This Sounds Mad**

"I don't understand what they are thinking," Narcissa said from her armchair as they watched the house elves prepare for tonight's party. They were bringing the baby home and all of the Weasleys, Potters and Audrey's family members were expected. In short, what was becoming a normal family dinner.

"Mother, Lucy wants to go back to work," Draco said. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"Is there? A mother's place is with her child. This sounds mad, Draco. Lucius, do tell him," she said.

"Yes, Dear. Draco, this is mad," Lucius said, putting his book down. "Now, what are we talking about?"

"That Lucy wants to go back to work, while Scorpius is staying home with Pegasus," James answered before the other two Malfoys could start another round of discussion about expectations.

"I'm sorry, Darling, but why are you complaining? She'll be off and Scorpius can raise his son like a Malfoy. I think it's the perfect arrangement," Lucius said.

Draco bit his lip, trying not to laugh. His father was always about traditions, but apparently not when it meant letting a Weasley raise his great-grandchild. "Mother, please, it's not the end of the world."

"I still think that it's wrong. A child needs his mother," she said.

James looked at her, thoughtful. "Do you think it's wrong if I have a child, then? I mean there will be no mother and I'm not leaving the Aurors. Draco would be home with the baby when I'm working. What about that?"

She turned to him, her gaze sharp and open. "Do you want the truth?" He nodded. "I find it wrong, but there's so much that I find wrong lately and I've always wanted Draco happy. I would do anything for him and if this is what makes him happy, then you will have my support and help."

"And I want Scorpius to be happy," Draco said. "Do you think I understand his relationship with Albus and Sophie? It's mad, that's what it is, but they are happy."

"I suppose," she said, sighing. "We'll have three children in this house. We've never had that many children at once. That will be nice," she said, smiling.

James lay down on the couch, his head on Draco's lap. He smiled when he felt Draco's fingers brush his hair. "Honestly, I can't wait to have them all of them here. I love kids."

Draco chuckled. "We know. Imagine, by the time we bring your child-"

"Our child," James said. "I don't care about biology. If we're married and raising him or her together, it's ours."

"There will be so many children in your family that we'll need to convert one of the rooms into a playroom," Draco finished.

"That's actually a very good idea," Narcissa said. "We never had to do it with you since it was only you, but we can create an entire room, with a mini forest, enchanted ceiling, unicorns, a little pond, with games and slides. What do you think, Lucius? Do you want to show these children what magic can do?"

"You want me to do all the work, don't you?" Lucius smiled. "Fine, we can change the tea room into a play room. It's rather large, but we rarely use it and with all the redheads littering this house, we need something big enough."

James snorted. "Every room here is as big as each floor at my parents' home. Lack of space will never be the issue, but what you're planning on doing is pretty awesome." He looked up at Draco. "I love that they thought of it because of our imaginary child and not Scorpius' and Al's real sons."

"As I said, Scorpius is our grandchild. Draco is our baby," Narcissa answered, unabashed. "He'll always be our baby to spoil rotten, and speaking of imaginary child. I know you've looked for the Healer to do this and a woman to carry it, but I think I might have found a donor."

"Mother," Draco said in warning.

"No Imperius required," Lucius said. "Only galleons."

"Do you remember my cousin Violet Rosier, she's Mother's niece? She married a Lestrange. Their daughter married a Burke, he died during the war. Her daughter has been facing some financial problems and is willing to do whatever is required as long as she's not named as the mother," Narcissa said. "The girl is gorgeous. Black hair, blue eyes, and she carries Black, Rosier and Malfoy blood from both her parents' lines."

"I doubt Jamie cares about any of that," Draco said.

"Actually-"

Draco frowned. "You care that she's a pureblood?"

"No, not that. I don't care about that, but she's as close to you genetically as possible," James said.

"Does it matter?" Draco asked.

"Not really, but she doesn't want anything to do with the baby _and_ she's gorgeous," he said grinning. "That matters, because have you looked at us? Our children have to be gorgeous."

"Children?"

"Well… we could do it twice if we want, but let's start with one, okay?"

Narcissa looked at her husband and shook her head. James Sirius Potter had upended their home and would do so again, but she'd go along to keep that smile on Draco's face and if they got new grandchildren in the process, so be it. Anything for Draco, no matter how crazy it sounded.

**Prompt 63: Summer – Summer Weddings**

The drawing room was once again filled with people, divided in groups of different sizes. "Am I late?" Albus said as he arrived. "I couldn't get off earlier."

"No, they aren't here yet," James said from a spot on the floor where he was playing with Remus and Dora. Albus joined him on the floor, helping Dora get on the toy broom that belonged to her brother. "Careful, she likes to let go when it flies."

"I _know_ , Jamie. You aren't the only one who pays attention," Albus said, affectionately. 

"Wow, no bitterness in your voice. Might we be getting better?" James said with a grin.

"We were bound to grow up at some point, right? And you're about to be a step-grandpa," he teased.

James chuckled. "Uncle and grandpa all at once. I think I can manage that. These poor kids will be so confused with all of the family relationships."

"They'll know that they have lots of people who love them," Albus said, "and look, they are here." He got up and went to hug Sophie, before winking at Scorpius and Lucy. "Welcome home, little one. I tried to tell them that they didn't have to come, but you can see how well they listened."

Before he could say more, there were grandparents and great-grandparents all cooing and trying to take the baby, but Scorpius wouldn't let go. "Can everyone back off?" It was worded as a question, but it was anything but.

"Blimey, you sound like your father," Ron said. "Did you hear how snotty that was?"

Hermione hit Ron's arm. "He's right. A child this young has a weak immune system and is susceptible to germs and illnesses. People shouldn't be touching him."

"That sounds so Muggle," Ron said, shaking his head. 

"Malfoy," Harry started, knowing that the best way to distract people from a baby was a wedding and Jamie was always happy to be in the spotlight, "now that we have Pegasus home, do we have a date for the wedding?" He was right, because he could see the glint in James' eyes as he stood up.

"You'll have to ask your son. He picked the day," Draco said. He was a Slytherin after all and happy to let someone else take the blame for their decision.

"Okay," James said, looking at everyone. "So we tried to find a day that didn't conflict with birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates and… yes, that proved to be impossible. We want to do it in the summer, and we tried to figure out a day when everyone would be off, but with our jobs-"

"Sweet Merlin, Jamie," Draco said with a sigh. "Just tell them."

"Fine, so there is one day when we are all off and it happens to be a Friday _and_ I don't think anyone would mind, but we've set the wedding for Dad's birthday."

"Pay up," Albus said, loudly over the many groans from his cousins.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked.

"We had a pool to see whose birthday he'd make about him," Albus explained with a smirk. "And for a wedding, he could only take the most important date for our world, so Dad's birthday. Everyone else thought he wouldn't have the balls. Little do they know. Come on, lovelies, I'm having a child and I need your galleons," he told his cousins.

"I- we didn't do because-"

Harry laughed. "Jamie, it's all right. I don't mind and anything to avoid my birthday party. Now I have the perfect excuse."

"I just want to point out that Jamie has managed to make Pegasus' welcome home about him, too," Albus said. "You know, in case anyone was wondering."

"I'm not _that_ bad. Dad asked and I answered," James said.

"Sure he did and you were happy to go along." Albus smiled at his father and then winked, because his father was sly, but Albus was a Slytherin and he knew exactly why he'd done what he had. Scorpius had known too since he'd disapparated with the baby to put him in the nursery before returning without him.

"If you do that with my son, I will hex your bollocks off," Sophie said, sweetly. "I'm giving you fair warning."

"Hey, it's not my fault that you want him to be born on my birthday. We'll have to share," he said, grinning.

Narcissa sighed at the antics. Children, the lot of them. She left them to their ramblings and approached Molly who was talking to Audrey's parents. "You should come when all these children are off to work."

Molly looked at her, a cautious look on her face. "They'll need their great-grandparents to show them how it's done."

Narcissa smiled and nodded. "Precisely." If Scorpius thought that they would keep her away from Pegasus, he was sorely mistaken. She'd just find ways to keep him occupied in the form of great-grandparents and grandparents.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Well Planned Birth  
** 23 April, 2026  
Prompt 39: Taste – A Taste for Perfection 

"Why are we still here?" James asked. "I thought this baby was going to be born on my birthday. He's late."

"Because my sweet wife said that you're a pain in the arse and she didn't want to ruin our son's birthday by associating it with yours," Albus answered. He looked at the watch. "Scorpius, where is she? The Healer is waiting for us at St. Mungo's to induce her."

"She finished her hair and doing her make-up. Sophie plans to look perfect after the birth. You should know that."

Lucy chuckled. "She's got everything planned. Induced, pain spells, and spells to regain her figure. She says we're not allowed to show the baby, until she can change her robe and look decent again. She's even bringing a corset to ensure that she looks perfect. I was just happy to be alive."

"Nonsense," Sophie said as she swept into the drawing room, looking like she was getting ready for a ball. "Women should always look perfect. We can go now. My parents are at St. Mungo's and I'm told that your family is there too."

"We can make the grand entrance, then," Draco said from behind her.

"Oh Uncle Draco, you're impossible. I was supposed to get here last," she said with a sigh.

"I've been doing this much longer than you, my darling. Now, we should go."

"Pegasus-" Scorpius said.

"The house elves have him and they know what to do," Draco reassured him. "It's all right to leave him for a few hours and I'll be back as soon as Sophie delivers. He won't be alone for long."

"I know, but-" Scorpius hadn't left the baby's side since he was born, despite all attempts from parents and grandparents to babysit and give him some time for himself. Scorpius had cast every spell, gave him every potion and ensured that he grew healthy. "You're right. He'll be all right. Let's welcome this new baby."

**Prompt 53: Earth – Down To Earth**

"Pretty sure the entire staff at St. Mungo's hates our family," James said as he sat next to his father, "but especially when it's the Potters. The press is already out there in full force. I don't know how they found out about the birth, but they are all waiting for pictures."

"Bloody vultures," Harry said. "How about you? Have they been hounding you since-" He nodded toward Draco.

James shrugged. "No more and no less than before. The difference is that instead of trying to find me in compromising situations with girls, they are trying to find me with men. They've been disappointed. They never try it with Draco."

"It's our fault. We thought that if we gave them some access, they'd leave you alone, but then you played them so well and they were in love with you," Harry admitted. "Lily has been good, too. She'll need it with her job."

"Too late to worry, Dad. It is what it is and when it's time, I'll go out, let them take a few pictures, say something and let the rest of the family leave unscathed." He was used to it after all and he would do the least damage with the press. "So how does it feel to become a grandfather?"

"I don't know," Harry said, smiling. He patted James' knee. "I always thought you'd have my first grandchild. You know that I'm happy for you, right? Malfoy might not have been my first choice. Or second. Or-"

"I get the drift, Dad," James said, laughing.

"But he loves you and I know how far he'll go to protect the ones he loves," Harry continued. "More than that, he makes you happy. Still, part of me wishes that you could have that normal family with those children you love so much."

James cast a privacy spell around them. "You can't tell anyone. Well you can tell Mum. I was planning on telling you anyway, but remember when we were discussing that spell they use in America?" Harry nodded. "We found someone to donate her eggs and someone to carry the baby. We did the procedure already, the 20th of last month and it worked. Because of the spell, though, there's an increase chance of multiple pregnancies so we're having twins."

"That's wonderful, Jamie. Why don't you want people to know?" Harry asked.

"They are risky and the Healer said that there is a high risk of miscarriage in the first trimester, so we're waiting until she hits the three-month mark to let people know," Jamie explained. "I would like to announce it at the wedding. Draco says I'll never last that long. He's probably right."

Harry grinned when he heard James' jovial laughter and then hugged him tight for a moment and then pulled back. "I'll make you a deal. I won't say anything until you're ready, but you won't tell your brother that you decided to tell me about your children while his wife is giving birth."

"Fuck, I _am_ as bad as he says." He cringed at the thought, but it was hard to refute the evidence.

"You… can't stay quiet. Never could. I'm surprised it took you a whole month to tell us," Harry said.

"That's because we've only known for two weeks that it worked," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "I wanted to tell you right then and then Draco suggested that we wait, and here we are, me telling you while you wait for your first grandchild."

"Jamie, don't worry about what they say about you. If your worst fault is that you're so excitable that you want to share your happiness with your family, then I'm the best father in the world and you're the best son anyone could have." Harry frowned when he saw the tension in James' body and the way his eyes shone. "What is it?"

"The babies, the wedding, everything that happened at work and the curse, I feel like I keep disappointing you and Mum. I mean I know you support me, but I'm making such a mess of things. I wish I could have been happy with a nice girl, settle down like you wanted me to. Maybe I would have been a better Auror, not got hit with that hex-" He shut his eyes tight turning toward the wall so that no one would see the tears threatening to form, but then Harry hugged him against and he couldn't stop them anymore. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry."

"You make me so proud. You've been perfect at work and with the press. You know secrets that no twenty-two-year-old should know. You put yourself out there to keep the pressure from Al and Lily, and even from me and your mother. Sure, you have lousy timing when it comes to announcements, but when it counts, you're always there for your siblings and your cousins, always ready to listen and support them." Harry pulled back and cupped Jamie's face. "Don't ever apologise to me for who you are. I don't need you to settle down with some girl, because I don't want you to settle just to make us happy, and Malfoy- Draco- you could do much worse."

"Thank you." He wiped his face with a hand and then went back to staring in front of him. Suddenly he turned to look at Harry. "You should tell Al the same thing. Well not the part about Draco, but not having to apologise for who he is. We really gave him hell for being a Slytherin."

Harry nodded. "We did and we can't repeat that with his children."

"Oh I'm totally telling my children they can't be Slytherins," Jamie said with a grin.

Harry laughed. "Well, it's good to see that your concern only extends to my children, and look, they are coming out."

Normally one would expect the father to come out with the child. In this case, one could have assumed that Scorpius and Lucy could have held the child. Instead, Sophie came out first, looking rather spending in a different robe with a décolleté that left nothing to the imagination, her corset tightened impossibly tight and her hair and make-up looking even better than when they got here.

"Darling, you look marvellous." Blaise was the first to get to her, followed by Daphne. "Should you be out of bed?"

"I don't see why not," she answered. "We had to wait a little longer so that I could take those wonderful potions that my lovely cousin made for me so that I could look as thin as usual, and fix my make-up." She looked up and frowned. "Dad, you do look a little worried. I think I see a wrinkle."

"Wrench." He leaned on and kissed her. "I'm glad you're both all right, and congratulations. To all of you. Now, I think your mother wants to hold this baby and we'll fight for him."

"Nonsense, Darling. I'm a Slytherin. I can find better ways to get the child without resorting to physical violence." She smiled and winked at Sophie. "And what do we call this child?"

Sophie looked at Albus. "You do the honours," she said while handing the baby to Daphne.

"Well, so we're going to follow in part the animal theme-"

James groaned. "Tell me it's Leo."

Albus laughed. "Sorry, Jamie, but it's not Leo. It's Corbin Harry Potter," he said, looking straight at his father. "Unless you think-."

"I think it's perfect," Harry reassured him. He hesitated. It was so easy to talk to James, to hug him and reassure him, but it had never been as easy with Albus. Still with people focusing on the baby and Sophie, Harry decided to throw caution to the wind. He moved closer and hugged Al tight. "I'm honoured that you'd give your son my name," he said softly. 

"Thanks, Dad." Albus looked over Harry's shoulder to where James was standing and he raised his eyebrows in question. James smiled and shrugged. "Is everything all right?"

Harry pulled back. "I haven't said it often enough, but I'm proud of you and I love you. You know that right?"

"Are you dying or something?" Albus asked. "Because this is a sucky time to let me know."

Harry laughed. "No, no one is dying, no one is getting a promotion, no one is getting married. No big announcements today."

"Other than you love me and are proud of me?" Albus asked, still confused.

"That's not a big announcement. That's how I feel about you, how I've always felt even when I didn't know how to tell you."

"Is this because Jamie won't have children?" Albus tried again.

Harry remembered why he never did this with Albus. With James, there were hugs and a few words and then they moved on. With Albus, there was the third degree. "Is it so difficult to think that I just want to let you know? No ulterior motives, other than I'm truly happy for you and Sophie." 

"I suppose not. It's just weird, that's all." He turned his head when he felt a hand on his back and grinned. "Hey, Draco. Did you see how gorgeous my son is?"

"Yes indeed. Congratulations."

Albus received the hug as naturally as he breathed and Harry pushed down the jealousy that he always felt when he saw how easily his son interacted with Draco.

"If I may," Draco continued, "I couldn't help but hearing, and-" He turned to Albus. "Do you know how sometimes, out of the blue, I tell Scorpius how much he means to me?"

"You only have him," Albus answered.

"But that's not it. Look at your son, look at that tiny baby and you feel so much that you can't stop from smiling. That's what your father feels for you." He patted Albus' arm and nodded at Harry. "I'll leave you alone."

"I- Dad, I'm sorry, it's just- You never say things like that, not to me. Maybe to Jamie and Lily because she's the girl."

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm the one who should apologise. I let a stupid hat scare me. I was almost sorted in Slytherin. I had a front row seat to what Voldemort did and I know how easily things could have turned out differently if I'd been sorted in Slytherin. I let my fears affect us, and I'm sorry."

"Couldn't you have said that back then?" Albus asked.

"You were eleven, Al. I didn't want you to know about all the bad things that we faced," Harry said.

Albus snorted. "You're Harry Potter, Dad. I found out about a day after I started at Hogwarts. Teachers, students, textbooks, ghosts, portraits, they all had something to say." He sighed. "Not much we can do, is there?"

"No, but I can try from now on, because you are as important as Jamie and Lily." Harry stopped when he saw Jamie come close and put an arm around his brother.

"All right, enough talking. Al, go get your son, before I _do_ fight the Slytherins for that baby. I want to see my nephew."

" _Fiiiiiiiiine_ , let me fight with my wife," he said, joking. "Jamie?"

"Yes?"

"Next one, you're the godfather. Just so you know." 

James grinned at the 'warning'.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: I Do  
** 31 July, 2026  
Prompt 42: Triangle – Luna 

The ceremony was held at Malfoy manor at dusk, with the sun low on the horizon. The two grooms wore traditional robes, neither had picked green, opting for a dark blue that wouldn't be associated with either house, much to Lucius' dismay. They had foregone bridesmaids and ushers, with Albus and Scorpius standing in as witnesses instead. 

The ceremony was simple, ending with the bonding spell that declared them married. James grinned through the entire ceremony, while Draco allowed himself to look amused on occasion. The kiss that ended the ceremony was racier than most, with Fred shouting 'Get a room you two'. After all, it was still a Weasley wedding and there had to be some lapse in class and etiquette.

The guest list was comprised mostly of Slytherins and Gryffindors, which was expected considering the people in question. The spells at the gates had been checked and re-checked to ensure that no one but the people on the guest lists would be allowed in.

The garden at the manor had been filled with tents to cast shade ver the different tables set up for the wedding. Ice sculptures were protected by spells against the summer heat. Floating candles lit the space between the many tents. There was a live band playing with an area transformed into a dance floor. The finest food and drinks were available for their guests while the two men walked through the guests, chatting with everyone, as they were meant to do.

"What's wrong?" James said when he noticed Draco tense next to him.

"I thought she wasn't coming," he whispered.

"Who?" Then he saw her. "Oh, Aunt Luna. She firecalled Mum this morning, saying that they got back from the Amazon and they were coming. I thought you said it was fine to invite her."

"Yes, because I knew she wouldn't come," Draco said, before putting on a fake smile when she approached them.

"Jamie, Draco, this is nice, very pretty. It wasn't this pretty when I was here before," she said, looking all around her.

Draco gripped James' hand so tight that James winced. "Yes, Death Eaters have a different taste."

"They liked death and torture." She shook her head. "So much darkness around them, but everything is bright now. I'm glad we could be here to see it."

"We're happy you're here, too, Aunt Luna," James said, pulling his hand away and hugging her. "I can't wait to see Lysander and Lorcan."

"They are here somewhere, probably looking for Moon Frogs. You never know where they might appear," she said.

"Moon- forget it, I don't need to know," Draco said before he could finish the question. "I probably should-"

"Do you see the pretty triangles all around?" Luna asked.

"Beg your pardon?" Draco asked.

"I can see triangles made of light all around you and Jamie," she said. "Can't you see them?"

Draco opened his mouth, then closed it again and looked at James for help. He didn't want to be rude to a guest, especially one he'd seen tortured in his very house, but he was at a loss.

"I can see reflection and glare from the candles," James said.

"Yes, but they form triangles when you pass by. It's magic. Triangles are the alchemical sign for fire. They symbolise fiery emotions. Very appropriate if you ask me. People always talk about Gryffindors and their emotions, but Draco was always about his emotions: anger, love, arrogance, passion, hate. He never did anything subtly." Luna smiled at Draco while she spoke, despite the scowl in his face. "You must love Jamie very much; you can't feel without committing fully."

"Maybe that triangles you're seeing are representations of the All Seeing Eye. Are you sure you don't have the third eye?" Draco asked.

Luna laughed. "That's not the future. That's the present. You wouldn't marry Jamie if you didn't love him now."

Draco didn't understand her and never would, but he knew she was right in this case. "I do love him."

"With all of your fiery emotions," James teased.

"Remember that when you piss me off," Draco said, but he smiled back.

"That's strange." James and Draco both turned to look at Luna when she spoke up again. "The triangles keep moving, turning upside down. That's the alchemical sign for water. It's associated with women and fertility."

Draco turned to James who shrugged. "I haven't said a word. Aunt Luna just knows these things." James took her hand. "We're going to be parents, but people don't know yet. We'll let them know later today. Can you people not say anything?"

Luna smiled brightly. "Surprises, I like surprises." She hugged him tight. "I'm very happy for you. You too," she added hugging Draco and not caring that he stood there, stiff and uncomfortable, suffering through the ordeal until she released him. "I'd better go and help my children find the Moon Frogs."

James grinned as he watched her go and then turned to Draco. "You okay?"

"She's strange. I don't know how she can ignore what happened. Watching her being tortured was probably the most important reason why I stopped believing in pureblood superiority. It was so much easier to believe when it was some abstract concept, but here she was, a girl, someone I went to school with, a pureblood, being tortured for no real reason." Draco pushed away the memories, returning to a much pleasant present. 

"One day, you'll forget about the war and those bad memories," James said.

"No, and I don't want to. Remembering is what stop us from doing it again. Remembering stops me every time I learn a new Dark curse. It's what prevents me from looking into those Deathly Hallows that your father has. She's right, I am about fiery emotions and that's why I spend so much time being in control of them, making it seem like they don't exist. What is it that you said? That I'm so in control and never need anyone?" Draco smiled. "Well, I have to, because I know where the alternative might lead."

"You have me now. No more hiding for me, no matter the reason."

Draco pulled James in until they were standing toe to toe. "The only time I was slipping was when you were sick. I would have done anything to help you. Otherwise, you've made happy and you've helped put the past into prospective. But I promise that I will talk to you."

James pressed his hand against Draco's cheek. "Not exactly our wedding vows, but I promise to do the same. I know I'm just as bad, if not worse when it comes to asking for help. Also I love you and I can't wait for all of these people to leave, so I can fuck you all night long."

Draco snorted. "Always the romantic."

"I'll leave that to Aunt Luna. I'll focus on having my dick so far up your arse that you won't be able to move in the morning."

Draco pretended to think about it and then shrugged. "I think we can do that. Now let's cut this cake and we can start pushing people out."

**Prompt 100: Writer‘s Choice: The Announcement**

The announcement of the pregnancy was nice and sweet, only mentioning that a woman was carrying their children – children, because they were getting another set of twins in the family. They avoided any other details in case the press got wind of it and because Draco insisted that it wasn't anyone's business. James went along willingly because he knew that most of the people present would find out one way or another soon enough.

"Bravo. For once, you make an announcement when you're already the centre of attention. I'm impressed," Albus said, grinning at his brother. "We might train you just yet."

"Shut up." James chuckled. "I'm sorry I tend to be a little-"

"Annoying? Self-centred? Arrogant? Selfish? Feel free to stop when I hit the right word," Albus teased.

"Boisterous and impatient. See? I can come up with big words all by myself." James put an arm around Albus and squeezed gently. "We're never going to be alike, you and me, but I'm glad that we're not as bad as we used to be."

"The bar wasn't very high. We fought constantly, but I've always known you love me, even when you act like a prick." He looked at where Draco was talking to their parents. "So…did you tell Dad something? He's been awfully nice since Corbin was born."

"Not precisely. We weren't talking about you, but I think after this long, it hit him what it's like to be Harry Potter's son. Kind of sucks, but it's also okay too. We get the big family, the loving parents, the creepy press. You know, a little of everything." 

"That's called life, Jamie. I mean, you just married a Malfoy. Pretty sure that they have their own mixed bag." Albus grinned when he saw Lily show up. "Hey, Li-Lu."

"I hate both of you." She slid on the other side of Jamie, her arm worming around his back just as his arm went around her. "How's married life?"

"I don't know yet. Just got married."

Lily snorted. "From everything I've seen, you've been living the life of an old, boring, married man already. No clubs, no hot blokes. Tsk, tsk, James Sirius, you're officially another boring husband."

He grinned. "And very happy about it. How about you? Still not dating Krum? I saw you brought him tonight."

"That's because he promised that I can peg him if I did," she answered.

James groaned, while Albus laughed. "That's our Li-Lu. I knew she'd be the fun one."

"Not as fun as you, Mr. I Have Three Lovers. Really, James is the only boring one here." She winked at Albus, while smiling.

"From the sound of it, you have plenty of lovers," Albus answered.

"Yes, but not at my house. Hardly as convenient as you. I might just start a harem, with all the pretty boys naked, chained around my house. Mmm, that sounds like a nice idea. Think I should share it with Mum and Dad? See if they want to help me set it up?"

"Sure, you go right ahead and talk to them," James said. "Mum still doesn't know about Al, so let us know what she says. We'll just wait here for you."

"You're a big chicken, both of you are. Good thing that you have me around now that I'm done with school."

"Oh great, another Potter in my house," Draco said as he, Harry and Ginny approached them.

"At least I'm not moving in. Unless you want to build me a harem."

"Lily Luna Potter," Ginny said.

"Yes, _Mother_?" She grinned. "These two said that I wouldn't have the courage to say it. What else was I supposed to do? Back down?"

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor," Draco said.

"He doesn't mean that as a compliment." James shook his head to confirm Albus' words.

She slithered away from James and went to hug Harry. "Lucky for me, my parents _are_ Gryffindors, so they understand. Don't you, daddy?" 

Harry chuckled. "Let's say that we do and keep the peace for tonight."

Ginny smiled. "If your father says so, although- Did I mention that we invited Nicolai to Sunday dinner at the Burrow?"

"You did not! Mum, how could you? I told you it's not serious," Lily said, furious.

"But he's such a nice boy and I am a Weasley. We can't help ourselves. I'm sure that since you're one too, you understand," she said, sweetly.

Draco took James' hand and pulled him away from Albus. "We can leave them to their discussions, while we dance."

"You're a coward, Malfoy," Harry told him as he led James toward the dance floor.

"Keep talking, Potter. I've got better things to do," Draco shut back, before walking away completely, more interested in the man he loved

* * *

**Prologue: Happily Ever After  
** 14 December, 2016  
Prompt 03: End – Or another beginning? 

"Narcissa, please tell me why all of these people are here." Lucius was standing near his wife, annoyed at another Weasley/Potter invasion.

"You know full well that they are waiting for Jamie and Draco to bring the children back from America." Narcissa smiled. "We'll have two more children in the house. Isn't it wonderful, darling?"

"Can we get rid of the adults here?" he asked. "I haven't cast the killing curse in three decades. We can see if I still have it in me."

Narcissa did not roll her eyes with so many people present, but she was tempted. "Unfortunately, that would prevent you from enjoying time with your great-grandchild and your grandchildren."

"They aren't Draco's," he warned her.

"And yet, he'll be the one home raising them, they have Black blood and Malfoy blood in them, and wouldn't it be lovely if they were sorted in Slytherin?" 

Lucius knew that tone of voice too well and smirked. "Whatever you're planning, I can't wait to see the results." Whatever she might have said was drawn out by loud voices that greeted the arrival of the newest babies.

"Welcome home," Narcissa said, stepping forward. "Now, before we do anything else, you need to introduce the little ones to all of us."

Draco shook his head. "I'm not touching this one. You picked the names, you tell them."

Albus groaned. "What the hell did you do, Jamie? You didn't go and name them something crazy like Brooklyn and America."

"What's wrong with you?" James made a disgusted face. "All right, soooo…, since our children are the most amazing thing in the world, we-"

"You," Draco said.

"I thought that they should have names to show how special they are, therefore I'd like you to meet Merlin and Morgan Malfoy-Potter."

Albus banged his head against the coffee table, just as Scorpius said, "And you thought Pegasus was too much."

"But these are yet totally perfect, because he couldn't come up with more arrogant names," Albus said. "You do understand that Merlin and Morgan were Slytherins, right, Jamie? Just saying. In case in eleven years you get confused as to why your children will end up in my house."

"Nonsense, so was Albus Dumbledore. Didn't see you in Gryffindor?" James answered.

"Don't start," Draco warned. "I don't know if they will be Gryffindors, or Slytherins, but I do know that they will be loved and cared for no matter what, no matter the house. I know that they have grandparents and a great-grandmother who adore them, more family that we can mention that will make them feel special and parents who will do anything for them."

"Malfoy is right."

"Could you say that again, Potter? Louder perhaps," Draco answered.

Harry grinned. "It's time to stop worrying about houses."

James hugged Draco as they watched the children being passed from aunts to cousins to the rest of the family. "They're still going to be Gryffindors."

Draco smiled. "Maybe, but I'll love them even if they are sorted in the inferior house."

James laughed. "So will I. After all, I love _you._ "

"Crazy as it sounds, I love you, too."

And together they would spend the rest of their lives.


End file.
